Losing Touch
by NewBlood158
Summary: Alice made the wrong choice that night, now it seems like she will never escape. Bane/OC. Spoilers for TDRK.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N_**_: This is just an idea I had after going to see the film and I wanted to see how it unfolds._

**_DISCLAIMER FOR ALL CHAPTERS: _**_I do not own Batman or any of the characters within the franchise. I own the original characters and the plot. Well, the parts that weren't in the movie anyway._

* * *

"Hello, this is Alice speaking, how may I help you today?"

She had said that nearly thirty times so far and it was only two o'clock. Barely listening as the man spoke in her ear she watched the clock on her desk tick down, each second seeming slower than the last. She sighed, still three more hours before she could get out of there. She made a mental note to pick up bread and milk on the way home as the man enquired as to why his computer kept freezing, she replied with the generic answer and two minutes later, he was thanking her. Looking at the date she suddenly remembered that she needed to buy a birthday present for her niece too, adding it to her mental shopping list.

Alice had never actually met her niece; then again, she hadn't seen her sister Sarah for almost ten years. When their parents died, it fell on Sarah's shoulders to look after her only sister, help her with her homework, and make sure she was clean and fed. They had moved in with their Grandmother but she was far too old to properly care for the pair of them. Only a few years later Sarah married, aged twenty-one and too young in her grandmothers eyes, but as soon as the ring was on her finger she left Gotham and never turned back. Alice had sat with her grandmother and cried for hours after.

Her sister hadn't been there for the chaos of the joker, but Alice had. She had watched the horror unravel on the news, receiving daily phone calls from her sister begging her to move away from Gotham and to Indiana to live with her and her husband. As much as Alice wanted to she couldn't leave her grandmother, and her grandmother would never leave Gotham.

As soon as she graduated high school, she found a job, working in a small cubicle answering customer complaints. She had thought about college but in the end didn't see the point. They needed money to pay the bills and while she was at college, she was never going to earn enough. It wasn't necessarily a bad job. Mainly customers just shouted at her down the line while she rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee, talking in a sweet voice whilst wishing something large would fall on their heads. She had been at that job for six years now, and although it was dull and nothing every changed, it paid the bills that seemed to keep piling up.

She looked up to Brian who sat across from her. Dear sweet Brian with his shaggy hair and permanent cheery attitude. He smiled at her when he caught her eye and Alice couldn't help but shoot one back.

The phone beeped again and she answered quickly, putting on her cheeriest voice. She had already been given several warnings about her tone not being pleasant enough, and was sick of being called into her manager's office. "Hello, this is Alice speaking, how may I help you today?"

* * *

Alice sat near the front of the bus ignoring all the noise and shouts around her. Getting public transport during rush hour was never a good way to travel, she just wanted to get home and make dinner and wash the dirt off that she could feel sitting on her skin. She buttoned up the top of her jacket as she stepped off at her stop, making her way quickly through the cold streets, hugging her jacket tighter around herself. She didn't like being out in the cold, especially when the nights were turning darker even faster. Gotham wasn't exactly the nicest place in the world to live, and being out by yourself late at night was never usually the smart choice.

She was walking quickly through the empty streets, turning a corner past an empty alley when she heard it. Breathing. Hard…uneven. She froze for a moment and looked around but there was no one insight. When she started to hear it again she felt her blood run cold.

First instinct was to run in the other direction but it was so laboured that she was certain she could hear the pain that coursed through it. If someone was hurt, she couldn't just leave them, that was something she could never do. Later on, she would hate herself for not being able to just walk away.

Alice followed the noise down the alley, instantly regretting it. It didn't take long for her to find the cause of it though, slumped in a corner, chest rising and falling at an exceled rate.

"Excuse me? Are you alri–" She almost gasped when she saw the mask but managed to keep it down. It covered most of the persons face, only showing his dark eyes and the sides of his head. Even his ears were covered by it. She stayed at a distance, feeling her mouth grow dry as she looked down at him, her eyes fixed on the claw like pieces of metal that were his mouth should be.

Alice pulled out her phone dialling nine one one, but out of the corner of her eye she saw his hand weakly rise up as she pressed the phone to her ear, and for a moment she forgot what she was meant to be doing. "I do not need – medical attention – little one. Just – assistance." His voice was unlike anything Alice had heard before. It took a moment for what he said to register because she was too memorized by it.

_"Gotham Emergency Services, what is your emergency?" _Alice ignored the voice coming from the phone as she lowered it from her ear. "Pa – pardon?"

"My mask – I need you – to restore it."

She stared at the web on his face and gulped. Four of the little legs were loose but the rest were fixed in place. The piece covering his mouth looked scarier the closer she edged to him, as if it was going to bite her as soon as her hand came close enough. Alice looked down to the entrance of the alley wondering if she could make a run for it. However, this man…he seemed to be in so much pain…and as much as she wanted to run, she found herself quickly kneeling next to him, shutting off the call while she shoved the phone back into her bag. His dark eyes were fixed on her, watching her curiously as she worked and trying to figure out how each piece connected. She finally realised that she only needed to screw them in, each making a small noise like pressured air being released when they were connected properly. When she was done, she remained in front of him, watching as the pain left his eyes and relief started to wash over him.

"Are you ok?" She asked. Her voice was too soft, too quiet. Like her.

His eyes rose to her and he could see the terror there, how her hands were pressed against the floor ready to push herself up at a moment's notice. Silly girl. Even if she attempted it he could grab her at a seconds notice, snap her arm if he so wished. She was nothing extraordinary, un-impressive really. He assumed she had no muscle and wasn't prepared for an attack. How foolish she had been to help him in the first place. Probably too sweet natured for her own good. He straightened his back as relief flooded back to his muscles. He rose then and taken back she scrambled away from him, obviously terrified of his large frame and overbearing height. His hand came out, offering itself to her, but she only glanced at it before pushing herself up without his help.

There was a glint of amusement in his eyes as he studied her. She dusted the dirt off her jeans and tightened her jacket around herself as she raised her head to him. "Your name, girl?" he asked. Now that the mask was fixed, it seemed even more terrifying than before.

She furrowed her brows and replied quietly. "Tell me yours first." There was a sudden shot of confidence in her tone and Alice set her jaw as she waited for an answer.

"My name is of no importance at this moment, you will know it soon enough. Your name however…I am waiting for your answer."

She licked her bottom lip nervously. "Ann – Annabelle." He knew it was a lie as soon as it fell from her lips. That's when his hand shot up, tightening around her slender neck and forcing her body back against the dirty wall. She didn't scream or cry out, she didn't even seem as terrified as any normal girl – woman should be as this was happening to them, but he could see the nerves settling in her and a slight fear creep into her eyes as her hands came up to clasp around his wrist, some pathetic attempt to pull his hand from her throat.

"Why did you help me, little one?" He asked. Alice choked as his strong rough fingers tighten around her throat. "Answer."

"Be – cause, you – were hurt." It came out strangled, raspy. He could see the tears leak from her eyes as she struggled for breath. He heard the kicking of her feet against the wall and was only just aware of the fact he had lifted her a foot from the ground as he pressed her into the cold wall.

"But you were scared. You contemplated leaving. Why help when you're terrified of what lies before you?"

She tried to speak but nothing came out, so he loosened his fingers and felt her throat twitch as she gulped in air. "It's the – right thing."

He thought for a moment, just a jerk of his hand and he could snap her neck as if it were a twig. Her eyes were wide, the green glinting from the wetness of her tears. He could feel them warm against his hand as he trickled down her face, her body heat rise as she continued to struggle. Her fingernails were digging into his arm, although he couldn't feel it, as any other man would. That's when he let go. Alice dropped harshly to the floor, chocking and spluttering as she grabbed her throat and sucked in oxygen. Her lungs hurt and her chest was on fire as she coughed and cried and attempted to breath normally again.

He crouched down next to her, watching her as she sobbed and breathed in the much-needed air. He rested one hand on his knee and waited patiently until her coughing subsided before used the other to powerfully pinch her chin, forcing her face towards his. He took note of how her body froze as soon as his skin encountered hers for the second time, possible out of fear that he would do it again. "Your foolishness almost cost you your life. Tell me; are you pleased that you assisted me?"

She raised her eyes to him, red rimmed, full of tears and anger. "Next time – I come across someone –I won't save their life." She managed to choke it out, only gasping for air a few times as the words came out horse and dry. The masked man let go of her then, almost gently, letting his thumb graze against her chin. She pulled back, pressing herself against the wall as she felt the vomit rise from her stomach. She couldn't hold it in any, moving quickly onto her knees she leaned over, emptying her lunch onto the ground.

"Do you feel lucky that I spared you, little one?"

She was too busy vomiting to answer.

He watched her throughout the ordeal, not a second of it affecting him in the least. When she was finally done, Alice leaned back against the wall, feeling like someone had drained all the energy from her body. Wiping her swollen lips against the sleeve of her jacket, she finally looked at him again, even though the act of just raising her eyes took far too much effort. "Just go away." She begged, as her voice grew thick with tears. "I only tried to help. Please – just leave me alone."

She could feel him staring at her, his eyes burning as he watched on. Alice squeezed her eyes shut in some poor attempt to shut him out, but the sound of his breathing was making every part of her tingle with fear. Her head was slowly dipping as she started to fall deeper. The pain in her throat, chest, and head overwhelming her too much. Soon the uneven deep breathing escaped from her lips and it wasn't long before she slipped into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **_Thank you for all the reviews for my first chapter. I wasn't expecting a response like that. I'm definitely going to continue with this story and I hope you all continue to like it too._

MelanietheGreat - _Thank you for pointing that out. I went back and fixed it._

* * *

Bane's fist clenched tight as he watched the girl's chest rise and fall in uneven strokes, her breathing deep and heavy as it fell from her parted lips. He raised his hand to tilt her head back, admiring his handiwork that now painted her throat, dragging his thumb along the red welts that quickly appeared and wondering where the dark bruises that will surly come will be. As he does this he notices the glimmer of a necklace and skims his hand down against her skin to pull at it and rest the crucifix in the palm of his hand. Of course, yet another person who believed in false idols.

He grabs tight and snaps it from her neck only noticing just then the impression her fingernails have made on his arm. He smirks from under his mask, it had been a pathetic attempt at survival on her part. He was correct. She is unimpressive. She doesn't look different to any other being; blending into a crowd is probably too easy for her, or perhaps she prefers it that way.

Her bag is still draped around her so he tugs it off with little concern about causing any more damage to her body. The first thing he finds is her work pass laying on top of her other items. Pulling out his phone he searches for the number before pressing it to his ear, all the while studying her photograph. A genuine smile on her face as she poses for the camera, her hair tied back into two buns, she looks younger, less tired and worn out. There was finally an answer and his mask hissed as he spoke. "I require a search on a name – Alice Rebecca Kendrew. An address would be most appreciated." It was a few moments before the voice on the end of the phone spoke and Bane snapped it shut, not caring for anymore conversation.

He opened her purse next to check the contents. $12 dollars, thirty four cents in change and a singular cash card. The only unusual thing was two pictures that slid into a small slot. One contained four people; he recognized the smallest as the girl slumped before him; the bright green eyes and dark hair were similar to the older males. The next picture was of a younger girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes. A daughter? He'd find out soon enough.

All the while this was happening Alice hadn't stirred. If it hadn't been for her chest rising and falling ever so often most people who had mistaken her for dead. He slings the bag back around her before scooping her up, pathetically light in his arms. Then again most women feel too light when he holds them. Her head lolled back and she groaned slightly, but is quickly in her deep state of sleep again.

"Let's get you home little one, before the beasts come out to play."

* * *

Alice woke when she felt her stomach lurch. It felt too heavy, like bricks had nestled themselves in her belly and were weighing her down. Her throat and chest ached; everything just seemed to feel dense and pointless, as if her limbs didn't even belong to her anymore. That was the first time she realised she was lying on a bed. Her bed. The soft sheets under the fingers and the usual smell of the laundry detergent her grandmother used were a comfortable indication that she was safely at home, nestled under the covers and safe in her bed. Maybe the previous night's events had just been a horrid dream or a bout of food poisoning.

It took a while for her eyes to open properly. They stung in the morning light and it took a lot of energy to force them open. She managed to drag herself out of bed to go look in the mirror on her desk, only to cover her mouth in shock when she saw the sight. Angry red welts and deep purple bruises covered her throat, she moved her hand gingerly up to touch her neck but just the feel of her fingertips brushing against the skin made her wince and caused her eyes to water. Seeing the damaged seemed to make it hurt even more, it made it more real.

As the memory of the nights events bled back into her mind she sat with a thud onto the chair. She felt dirty, she could smell the faint scent of vomit and her hair felt greasy as she pushed it back to look at her blood shot eyes in her horrid reflection. This wasn't her. The girl that sat before the mirror was weak and pathetic and needed to shower badly.

"Alice?" At the sound of grandmother's voice Alice brought her hand up quickly to hide her neck as the door creaked open.

"I'm here, Gran." Her voice came out thick and hoarse, that simply sentence felt like a knife being dragged along the inside of her throat.

"Alice, sweetheart?" The sound of her grandmother's voice was more welcoming than Alice could ever imagine it to be; especially since last night she never thought she would hear it again. Her grandmother shuffled in still in her nightgown and robe, her eyes growing wide when she set them upon her granddaughter. "Oh sweetheart, what one earth happened to you?" She leaned over to grasp her granddaughters face in her hands but suddenly stop when her hands were close enough, instead choosing to fix the tie on her robe.

"I, uh…" Alice could see the fear in her grandmother's eyes. She had seen it so many times that by now it was too recognizable. Her chest started to ache even more. "I went out for a couple of drinks after work and, I suppose I lost track of time. You were already asleep when I came home and I – I didn't want to disturb you. I should have called. I'm sorry."

"Oh. Well. I'm glad you were out with your friends, I was so worried. Although I must say you look a little worst for ware."

"You have no idea." Alice forced out, even adding a slight chuckle for good measure. "I'll change and shower now."

"How about some a late breakfast?"

Alice glanced over at her clock and read twenty eleven. "Sure. Nothing dry though, please."

"I'll make you porridge. It'll be ready as soon as you're out of the shower. Oh, and you forget bread and milk yesterday." Her grandmother smiled warmly as she shut the door and Alice let her head fall onto her desk with a light bump. In that moment she could only think about how the hell she had arrived back. Had she walked and passed out again when she reached her bed? Did that man bring her back? But if he did that meant…that meant he knew where she lived and was in her bloody house! She felt her stomach churn again and she covered her head with her arms and groaned deeply into the wood.

It was a while before she even made an attempt to move. She realised she still had her boots on and brought her leg up to slowly start unlacing the right one. Her jacket was at the foot of the bed, folded neatly while her bag lay on the floor underneath. Now she knew that wasn't her, her things always ended up on the floor and in disarray. Once her boots were gone she dropped to the floor and grabbed her bag to make sure that bastard hadn't taken any of her things. Upon inspection it all seemed to be there. Phone, purse, door keys and work pass all accounted for. But just because all her things were there didn't mean that he hadn't looked.

She was suddenly up and walking over her bed to lock the windows and draw the curtains. She couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched, that he was going to pop out from under her bed or jump out of her closet. Alice had been terrified of the Bogeyman when she was little thanks to a particularly horrifying story her sister had told, but she never thought she would be checking under her own bed and in her closet when she was in her twenties. For the first time in a while she missed her dad, she wished he was there to check under her bed for her.

Her next stop was the bathroom. She striped off her clothes, discarding them on the floor before she stepped into the shower to wash off the grime that she could feel on her skin. As she stood there she suddenly looked down, checking her inner thighs for traces of blood. There was none but that didn't stop Alice from scrubbing herself raw anyway.

For a while she just stood there letting the hot water wash over her and replaying the evenings events in her mind. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the floor – no…no she remembered strong arms holding her – lifting her from the ground. His awful breathing too close in her ear. Did that even happen?

The feel of his hand on her throat kept replaying itself in her mind, how his fingers twitched as he squeezed. She realised as she stood there that he held back. "He held back" She says to no one. She realises he could have snapped her neck with his thick fingers any second if he wanted to, cut off her air supply in an instant without even having to force it.

So why hadn't he?

* * *

It had been a little under a week since that night and she still couldn't sleep properly. Whenever her eyes close she could hear the echo of his breathing in her ears and his deep mechanical voice taunting her. Alice had considered going to the hospital but then she would have had to explain what happened. She reckoned she wouldn't get much sympathy after she explained a big bulking bald guy wearing a mask had attacked her after she had stupidly gone down a darkened alley and had attempted to help him. People who did that were signing their own death warrant. And there was no other way to explain her injuries.

That day she had woke up late. It had been the first sleep since the incident that didn't involve her waking up clawing at her throat. She had decided to skip work and called to tell them a nasty throat infection had got to her overnight. As she stood in the hall on the phone she studied her neck in the mirror. The bruises were now a mixture of purple and yellow and although there was still some indication of the welts, far less prominent against her skin but still an unwelcome reminder.

She locked the door and all the windows before sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper whilst eating a rather large bag of chips with the TV on in the background. She didn't watch whatever was on; it was more to keep her company while her grandmother had gone out than anything else.

_'Chaos at the Gotham's stock exchange.' _That caught her attention. Alice found her eyes drifting up to look at the TV. Bad news wasn't unusual in Gotham, but it was usually muggings or banks being robbed. This was new. '_This is Vicki Vale reporting from downtown Gotham where Police have surrounded the entire area, blocking streets in an attempt to attain the suspects,'_

Alice was now watching the news but not listening to a word the blonde reporter was saying. She could see police running around in the background, sirens flashing and people yelling. _'Sources say five men stormed the building passing security and holding employees in the main room hostage. It is still unclear what exactly the suspects are after or how they managed to bypass security,"_

The blonde suddenly pressed a finger to her ear, and then her eyes shot to the camera again. _'It appears we have obtained footage of one of the assailants taken from a security camera within the building. We must warn you, what you're about to see may cause some distress and it is advised younger viewers of Gotham City news do not watch the following.'_

The film came up in black and white; a man in a motorcycle helmet surrounded by security appeared. There was no noise to the tape and when he reached up to pull the motorcycle helmet off, Alice found herself leaning in to get a better look. Her heart stopped. She watched for a brief second as the man smash the female guards face with the helmet before finding her own hand flying to the remote pausing the TV as quickly as possible. Even though the image was blurry and distorted it couldn't have been anyone else. Same build…same mask. Alice found herself moving off the couch and closer to the TV to get a better look as fear took over and she felt herself tremble. She pressed play again and watched as he easily took out two more guards before the channel cut back to Vale. _'We're sorry to disrupt the footage but there has been some activity at the Exchange and it appears that hostages are being released.'_

Alice watched in horror as people started to slowly leave the building, the whole time her hand clasped around her throat. When the motorcycles sped out she quickly lifted the remote and shut off the TV.

The ring of the phone caused her to gasp in fright and she cursed at herself immediately after for being so bloody jump. "Fucking idiot." She muttered as she brought the phone up to her ear. "_Hello? Alice?"_

Sarah. Of course. "So it's on national news I take it?" She realised her voice sounded too shaky. She coughed as her sister spoke at rapid speed. _"Yes! God I can't believe it! Can't Gotham go one day without something happening? Have you seen this?"_

"I switched it off. I can't watch that stuff. It makes my stomach hurt."

_"You're going to end up with an ulcer under all the stress that city causes. It just another reason for you to,"  
_  
"move down there." Alice finished for her sister, shaking her head. "I know. You say this every time we talk."

"_And you know I'm right. Stan said you're more than welcome to stay with us while you're down here and you get yourself sorted, and Polly can finally meet her aunt!"_

"I know, stop bloody telling me."

"_Oh! That reminds me. Polly wanted to thank you for her present. Polly, come say hi to Auntie Alice."_

Alice waited as she listened to the phone being handed over and then there was a small voice on the other end of the line_. "Hello? Auntie Alice?"_

"Hey cutie. You ok?"

_"Th – Thank you for my – my birthday present."_

"That's ok. Did you like it?"

_"Yes!"_ Her niece squealed happily. Alice smiled properly for the first time in more than two weeks. _"Mummy – mummy said you're coming to see me."_ Alice sighed and rubbed her forehead as she felt it throb. She hated Sarah for using Polly to try and quilt her into coming down there. "Maybe. Sweetie. Can you put your mum back on?"

_"Ok, mummy, Aun – Auntie Alice wants you." _She heard her sister thank Polly then her voice was on the line again. _"So? Will you at least think about it?"_

"I'm always thinking about it."

"I just…I want you to be safe. After what happened –"

"Don't." Alice said sharply. "Just don't bloody mention it." She gritted her teeth as she kept her voice low. "I'll talk to grandma, ok? I'm not leaving her here alone."

_"Alright. Good. But call me soon, don' leave it until the city is being blown up or something. Again."_

"I won't. I promise."  
_  
"I love you. Please stay safe."_

Alice wiped the tears away before they had a chance to fall. "I love you too."


	3. Chapter 3

It was Saturday, three days after the stock exchange event and the news was still going on about it. Alice had spent the morning tidying and listening to the newscaster talk about Batman's return before deciding she was sick of locking herself up in her house. Where she decided to go probably wasn't the best location for her first outing.

Gotham Cemetery seemed to be colder than the rest of the city. She walked through the gates, flowers under one arm and felt an awful chill that cause her to wrap her jacket tighter around herself. She walked past rows upon rows of graves until she finally found her location. "Hey." She said quietly and knelt down to pull the weeds from the ground and toss the littered beer cans and rubbish packets that lay about aside. Alice placed the fresh flowers neatly on the cold ground. She didn't see the point of bringing them when they would just die,, but she knew her mum would have liked them.

The only thing Alice had ever wanted was to leave Gotham City. Well, that was a more possible dream than bringing her parents back. She had wanted it after her mum had died and well before her dad had joined her. Alice wanted to leave Gotham and never look back and had always hated her sister for doing what she could never do. It was because of her grandmother that she stayed. Alice knew that without her help and income she wouldn't survive by herself. Sighing, she placed her head in her hands and stared down at the ground. It was a silly decision to come here; it always made her feel guilty. Being alive when your loved ones aren't usually does that to a person.

Alice had dinner ready by the time her grandmother arrived home. They both sat in silence, only Alice is stabbing the food on her plate instead of actually consuming it. The news was still that day's events over and over whilst cutting back to the police chasing batman all over the bloody city. "Sarah called the other day." She finally told her grandmother when another picture of the mask man flashes up on her screen. She took a long gulp of her iced water so she has something to do but look at the TV and it stung on the way down.

"Provoked by the news, no doubt." Her grandmother answered, shakily eating her potatoes.

"Maybe we should go visit her. For a couple of weeks or something? I mean, you've never seen Polly and she's your great-granddaughter. I've never seen her and she's my niece!"

Her grandmother was silent for a while, eating her food slowly as Alice waited patiently for an answer. "We couldn't afford that. Not for two people. But if you want to go sweetheart, you should. I've always told you that."

"You know I wouldn't leave you."

"I'll be fine sweetheart. I'm more worried about you than me."

"You have nothing to worry about." Alice tried to assure her grandmother as she stabbed at her green beans. "I'm fine." Alice could have sworn she saw her grandmother eyes flash to her throat that was covered by the scarf, but the she didn't say anything regarding that. "You haven't worn your necklace lately."

"My necklace?"

"Your silver one dear, with the cross."

Alice reached up towards her neck. Her grandmother was right, it wasn't there. She hadn't even noticed for the past week. Alice suddenly stood, the chair scrapping against the floor as she rushed to her room. She checked her jewellery box tipping the contents on to the table. It wasn't there. She checked her bed, pulling the covers off and searches frantically between the sheets. She even flipped the mattress over to search underneath.

"Oh my goodness, what are you doing!"

She ignored her grandmother and kept searching, in her bag, the wardrobe, even checking the pockets of her jacket.

"I can't find it!" She cried.

"When did you last have it?"

"I was wearing it – " As she remembered she slumped down on the chair, breathing deeply as the frantic search had worn her out slightly. "When I was at…went out with my friends. …I haven't even though of it till now and…I can't find it."

"I'm sure it's here somewhere."

"It's the only thing I have of her!" Alice snapped as she started to search through her desk, looking through old papers and other pieces of old rubbish that filled the draws.

"Sweetheart, you need to calm down."

"Sarah gave it to me! The only thing we had left of mums and she gave it to me! If…If I've lost it she'll never forgive me."

Her grandmother suddenly came over, standing next to the desk as she watched her granddaughter. "I know how much you love that necklace, but you need to stop, you'll find it, I'm sure you will."

Alice abruptly stopped what she was doing and looks up at her grandmother. "I need to find it."

"And you will, now come on. Come finish your dinner, then we'll both look."

It had taken a while for Alice to fall asleep that night. The remainder of the evening had been spent tearing the house apart as she searched for that damn necklace, but to no avail. Alice lay there, tossing and turning as the events from the stock exchange played through her head. It had been reported on the news that four people had died and she kept thinking that maybe if she had reported what had happened to her they could have stopped. Maybe caught him beforehand. She decided it was ridiculous. There was no way they would have believed her anyway, at least not until now. She felt over heated and the room was far too stuffy but opening her window wasn't an option, everything in the house had to remain securely locked at all times.

Alice finally managed to drift off into a relatively peaceful sleep. His face had plagued her for the first few nights but now she was finding it easier to sleep without him wandering into her mind. She had always been a deep sleeper, ever since was little. Sarah use to say there could be a full blown war raging on outside her bedroom window and Alice wouldn't have even stirred. Despite how heavy a sleeper she was, that didn't stop her from waking several times throughout that night. At three am she shot up, her throat so dry she couldn't even swallow. Lazily making her way to the kitchen she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, downing half of it in one go. The only light was the fridge illuminating her in the darkness and she preferred it that way, switching on the main light would have been hell for her eyes. She brought the bottle up to her lips again when she froze. She wasn't the only one in the room breathing.

She didn't move. She could hear his footsteps approaching her as her eyes remained down and on the contents of her fridge. A hand suddenly grips onto the fridge door and swings it shut. "We don't want to let the cold out." When she hears his voice the bottle falls from her hand, spilling water everywhere as she backs away from him.

"What are you doing in my home?"

She can't see him properly and is suddenly glad for it. But she can feel him. His presence is so obnoxiously prominent even in the pitch black darkness. '"I've already been here once before, briefly. I merely came by to see how you are, little one."

That's when the light turns on, harshly blinding her for a second. Her eyes meet his ands he unconsciously steps back until she's pressed herself against the kitchen counter. Alice was trying not to let her fear show but she could fell herself shake and her hands gripped onto the counter as her big eyes watched him. If his mouth had been visible, she would have sworn there would have been a smile; there was too much amusement in his eyes, probably at how terrified she was.

For some reason he seemed even bigger now, maybe it was because the kitchen was so tiny and his frame so huge. If she hadn't been so scared there may have been something comical about it. He's in front of her, so large and overbearing that she feels like he's sucking all the oxygen out of the room and it's suddenly hard for her to breathe.

His hand suddenly comes up and a large finger grazes against her chin and forces her head to tilt up. "It seems I have left a lasting impression." She feels it graze slowly down her throat and her head snatches back. His hand suddenly drops.

"You didn't inform anyone of our encounter."

It wasn't a question so she didn't answer.

"Also too foolish to take yourself to the hospital."

How did he know that?

Alice was suddenly too aware of how under dressed she was. She felt like there was too much skin on show while she wore her shorts and strappy top, but she hadn't exactly been expecting anyone's arrival in the middle of the night, especially not his. She crossed her arms against her stomach and saw one of his eyebrows twitch as he watched her. She dreaded to know what he was thinking.

It was too tense and awkward as they both stood there and she felt like the silence was slowly killing her. "I saw you on the news." She blurted out, feeling stupid as soon as she did.

"The stock exchange." He stated his breathing sounding low in his mask. He had walked away now and back to the living room and studying the images that decorated the walls. He paused at the one from her High school graduation for several moments before moving onto the next one. He was holding onto the lapels of his jacket and looked ridiculous in her Grans living room.

"They said you killed people."

"They were in my way."

"Was I in the way?"

He paused then and turned his head to her. "If you were, you would be dead my dear. You offered me assistance, so I spared your life."

"Nearly killing me first." She muttered back, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"But I didn't."

"You held back."

His eyes flashed dark and she knew she had said the wrong thing. He was suddenly marching back over to her and Alice felt the fresh terror shooting down her spine. She leapt forward and grabbed the knife from its block and held it straight up with both hands. He stopped then, still a few feet from her, eyes looking between her and the knife. He didn't look scared, she wasn't even sure that was an emotion he was capable of, he just seemed…annoyed. "Would you kill me girl? Or attempt to, in your case." He held his arms wide, treading carefully towards her until the tip of his knife was pressed into his chest. "Then do so."

She thought about it. The image of him sprawled out on the floor bleeding profusely was suddenly in her mind, and she didn't completely hate it. Unfortunately she was too slow. Grabbing her wrist he twisted her arm so she was forced to turn, her back pressing into chest. It hurt, really hurt. His hand was like a vice on her fragile arm, one twist and he could probably break it. He squeezed harder and she started to cry out until his other hand came to her mouth and his breathing was hard in her ear. "Hush little one. You don't want to wake your beloved grandmother do you?" He squeezed again before continuing. "Answer."

She shook her head no.

He moved his hand and took the knife that was still clenched in her own, placing it back onto the counter.

Alice wasn't sure what he was doing. She heard fumbling and suddenly something glinted in front of her eyes. "I believe this yours." Her crucifix. That fucker. She went to grab it with her free hand but he snatched it away, like he was toying with a small child instead of a grown woman. "Why did you save me?"

"Haven't we already had this discussion?" She felt proud of herself for a brief moment. She didn't sound scared or trembled when she talked, she actually sounded quite brave. He squeezed again and she felt her knees start to buckle from the pain.

"I wish to ask you while you brain isn't being starved of oxygen."

"Because, you were in pain." She shoots at him and the grip on her arm lessens.

"And you could not stand to see me this way?"

"I don't know. Now I wouldn't really care if you were on the floor with a knife in your gut."

He spun her back round so she hit the counter once more, grunting slightly when she felt the sharp pain against her lower back. He was looking at her, no – studying her, like she was an object in a museum instead of a human being. She felt the hair on the back of her neck prick up at the sudden chill that ran through her. His dark eyes found hers and suddenly he was close, too close, right in her face. "You haven't thanked me for sparing your life."

Alice wished right then she had that knife, so she could shove it right into his eye. "Thank you for nearly killing me." She spat at him.

A low hiss escaped his mask as his eyes flashed with rage. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his hand rise, fist clenched. She tightened her eyes shut and prepared herself for a blow or punch, anything. Instead she heard his heavy footsteps and the sound of the front door being slammed shut.


	4. Chapter 4

A week had passed since her second encounter with…_him_. After hearing the door close Alice had sunk to the floor, not even flinching when the cold water touched her legs. She remained there for almost an hour as what had just happened slowly sunk in. Once she snapped herself out of her zombie like state she mopped up the water, locked the front door, and went back to her room to change her damp shorts. She didn't sleep for the rest of the night, only lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling. It was hard to sleep before, now it had become impossible.

She was glad to be able to dress without the need of turtle necks and scarfs anymore, now it only took some light make up to make the light bruises and welts disappear. Unfortunately she was now decorated with a new batch covering the bottom of her left arm, luckily for her they were easier to hide.

Although Alice was exhausted she forced herself to go to work every day that week, ignoring prying questions from colleagues and her manager as to why she had so much time off. She only replied with the generic answers of having the flu on and off for the past couple of weeks, even though no one seemed to believe her they didn't care enough to push her for a better response. There was only one person that seemed to be genuinely concerned. Brian had being working there for two years, and had been sitting at the desk opposite her for eight months now. She saw the worried glances from him during those days she was feeling particularly bad but he never pried, only made her coffee when she was too busy to do it herself. For her that gesture was better than being constantly asked questions.

Alice was walking out of her house when she spotted the man leaning against his car. He was young, black hair, dressed pretty smartly and scribbling something down in a notepad. "Can I help you?" She asked clearly and his head shot up, he quickly placed the notepad in his pocket. "I'm looking for Alice Kendrew?"

"Who's looking for her?" She asked and walked to the bottom of the steps as he pulled something out of his pocket and flashed it at her, a badge. "I'm Detective John Blake. I have some questions for you…Miss Kendrew."

"Alright, you got me. What kind of questions?"

"May we go inside?"

"I'm late for work." She forcefully told him. Alice didn't understand why he could possibly be here; it wasn't like she had done anything wrong.

"I'll be quick then. I'm sure you're aware of the incident last week at the stock exchange." He jumped straight into it, not bothering with anymore small talk and going straight into police mode.

"I think if you're not it's because you're death, blind and live in artic regions."

He smiled slightly as he stood straight and opened his car door to grab an envelope off the seat. "I've been working with Jim Gordon since it happened. Trying to find any new information I can about the main suspect, the one with the mask." Alice tensed as soon as he said that. "It involves a lot of boring work, mainly going through hours of surveillance footage." He continued. She didn't like where this was going and her stomach started to rise up. He opened the envelope and slid out the picture, handing it to her. "That is you, isn't it?"

Alice didn't take the picture; she stepped forward and glanced down at it. It was from that night in the alley, he…was carrying her and she couldn't help but think how pathetically tiny she looked in his over bearing arms. "That's me." She said quietly "How did you know it was me though? You're Gotham PD not CSI."

He ignores the question and carries on with his own. "Can you explain to me how you ended up in the arms of one of the most wanted men in Gotham?"

"Not really." She shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

"We are trying to locate him. Now if you know anything and are withholding that information I can have you arrested for obstruction of Justice _and_ Impeding a Police Investigation."

She's quiet for a moment as she feels the rage build inside her. "Well you obviously can't arrest me for that considering I don't know anything. So you're going to arrest me for what? Being unconscious in a public area? Does it look like we're about to go out to a movie?" She's trying to keep the anger out of her voice, and failing miserably. "I'm obviously unconscious in this picture. He doesn't come round every Wednesday to play Gin if that's what you're thinking."

"Then explained to me how he ended up with you."

"Because I'm an idiot who made the stupid mistake of trying to be a decent person and now I'm being punished for it."

"Did he attack you?"

The silence thickens and Alice feels like she can't breathe. "Do you have any more stupid questions or can I go to work?"

The young detective stares at her for a moment then shakes his head. "I have a feeling no matter what I ask you probably won't give me a straight answer."

"You're probably right."

"You can go Miss Kendrew. Thank you for your…cooperation."

"Thank you for ruining my morning, Detective Blake."

She's still in a foul mood when she gets to work and immediately goes to the break room to make herself a large mug of coffee. Brian's already in there and smiles at her as he moves aside so she can grab coffee pot and fill up her mug.

"Late night?" He asks as she grabs several little packets of sugar. She knows she looks like crap. Her hair is a mess, her eyes swollen and tired and she was still pissed off from that guy this morning. As if she didn't have enough reminders of the masked bloke, now random people off the street were questioning her about him. Alice shrugged at Brian but still let a small smile slip out as she poured the sugar into her coffee. "Look, If you want to talk to someone," He started but when he saw the unimpressed look on her face he stopped, looking down at the ground. "What I mean is, I just hope you're ok. And I mean that in a genuine way not a prying I need to know everyone's business type of way."

Alice took a long sip of her coffee as Brian waited for a response. "Thanks." She replied eventually. "But, I'm ok."

Back at her desk she answered the call that was waiting for her, that's when the message popped up on her screen.

**BrianO: _Do you like football?_**

She stared at the screen for a second before looking up at the sender. Brian was back at his desk and smiled whilst making a gesture at her to type. Alice slowly looked back down and replied. **_I guess._**

It was a few seconds before the next message popped up as she talked to the woman on the other end of the line. **BrianO:_ Meet me in the break room at lunch. _**Well, this was all very cryptic. Alice looked back up but Brian's head was down as he talked into his headset.

By lunch Alice is so tired if she was allowed to crawl under the desk and sleep she would have gladly. She spots Brian getting up and making his way to the break room but she remains at her desk, wondering what the hell he wants. When she feels her stomach rumbles she groans and gets up. If he wants to talk at least she can eat. Brian was leaning against the counter, eating a sandwich and opening a can of coke. "You're probably wondering why I gathered you all here." He says, gesturing to the room. Sophie from accounts raises an eyebrow as she stormed out. "Looks like she doesn't want to hear about my new superhero club then." Brian sighs and takes another bite.

"Superhero club?" Alice asked, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a can for herself.

"Yeah. Like Batman. Only no cool car and gadgets and our costumes would be more tights and spandex than the cool suit he wears. But, I figure we could pull it off."

"You'd think I'd look good in spandex?"

"Hells yes."

She chuckled for the first time in a while. Brian's chewing slowly, watching her as she takes out her lunch and sits down on the sofa opposite him.

"Rogues vs. Monuments this Saturday. Would you like to go with me?"

Alice was a bit surprised. Brian was nice enough but they had never gone out together outside of work. Although they had the odd polite conversation in the elevator up or in the break room, this was probably the first time he had ever asked her to anything. "Seriously?" it came out more shocked than she had originally intended. The corner of his mouth twitched in a slight smile.

"No, I'm lying. It's all a ruse. Seriously. Would you like to come to the game with me?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Uh…because…well…my brother backed out, has to work."

"Why not ask one of the guys here then?"

"They aren't as pretty as you." When he said that a slight blush rose in his cheeks and he hurriedly took another large bite out of his sandwich. Alice couldn't help but smile back.

"Ok. Why not? I haven't been to a football game since High school but, it could be fun."

"Really?" now it was his turn to act shocked. "That's great. I'll uh, pick you up at about twelve." He told her with another smile and strutted out of the room, only to return a few moments later.

"Address?" she asked.

"That might help me find your house, yes. A phone number would probably help as well."

She searches in her bag and pulls out a piece of paper and pen to scribble it down for him.

"By the way," He added as he pocketed it. "You have a jersey?"

Brian had shown up at her door, spare jersey in hand and a huge smile on his face. She tugged the jersey over her yellow long sleeve top she had worn just to show her support for the Rogues. Alice hoped she looked ok. This was a date, well she assumed it was, and her first once for god knows how long. She had even worn a skirt for the occasion, even if was with thick tights considering it was cold as hell out, just to give the illusion she was in fact somewhat girly. The jersey was too big, it hung loosely on her body and reached mid-thigh, but she didn't think it looked too terrible.

* * *

Alice is listening to soft lull of the boy's voice as he sings and finds herself entwining her arms with Brian's. He looks down at her for a second, a soft smile on his face before he looks back towards the football pitch. As soon as it's over the crowd start to cheer, even Alice is clapping along although she stays firmly next to Brian for the extra warmth. She can't deny that's she's actually enjoying herself.

She doesn't notice the slight tremble from under her feet, that was, until the football field started to collapse. The cheers turned to screams as most of crowd ducked down in fright, even Brian was suddenly on his knees and tugging at her arm. Alice just stood there, watching in horror as the ground buckled from underneath the athlete's feet. There was suddenly an explosion from behind and that's when she fell too, covering her head with her arms as bits of debris flew everywhere. She could feel the dust settling over her and the crowd and the heat from the fire burning behind them.

"Are you ok?" Brian asked from beside her. Alice shook her head and she felt his arm wrap around her shoulders. She tensed for a second when she felt him touch her, but moved closer to him. Once it was over and everything had stopped shaking people started to stand back up. Brian's grip on her tightened and without thinking Alice moved towards him, burying her face into his chest and forcefully holding onto his back.

When she heard the voice she involuntarily shuddered and gripped onto him harder.

"**_GOTHAM!"_**

She knew right then that voice was going to haunt her for the rest of her life. Alice tried to block it out; she pressed her face against Brian's chest and covered her ears just so she wouldn't have to listen. Only when she heard the word bomb did she lower her hands and look towards the screen that had his face plastered on, just in time to see him snap that man's neck. Alice felt cold to her core. Nothing else he said seemed to be a sink in after that, until the very last sentence fell from his lips.

"**_Tomorrow you claim back what is rightfully yours. Now, my men – go find the girl." _**As those last words rang throughout the stadium he dropped the microphone.

Everyone started to move when they had heard the drop of that microphone. "Let's get out here." Brian hurriedly said and took a hold of her hand. He started to pull her through the already thickening crowd. Children were crying and people were too busy rushing their loved ones out of there to give a crap about anyone else's well-being. Alice was being pushed as people rushed past, almost falling several times in the process. Brian never let go of her hand. He made sure she was always right beside him. She could feel her phone vibrating from within in her bag but chose to ignore it; right then wasn't exactly the right time to be answering calls.

Alice looked around as Brian dragged her through the crowd. She kept spotting those men with guns looking around and her chest tightened. _'**Go find the girl'**. _She felt physically sick as the words haunted her mind. It couldn't have been her he was after; maybe he was referring to, it was just…too ridiculous! How would he even know she was there?

"I wonder who they're looking for." Brian muttered quietly once Alice had managed to push herself forward so she was at his side again. "Whoever that girl is I feel sorry for them right now. I wouldn't want to be within twenty feet of that asshole."

His words suck in. She turned her head back round to see where the guys with guns were. One of them was staring directly at her, his eyes squinting in thought, and then they suddenly opened wide in realisation.

"We have to get out of here, now!" Alice cries to Brian.

"I'm trying! There are too many people!"

Alice looked back, she could see the men walking quickly through the crowd, and her heart was pounding so hard she felt like she was having a heart attack. Those words rang in her head again. _'**Go find the girl'.**_

"There! She's there" Someone suddenly yells. "Get her! Bane wants her, now!"

It's too crowded. No matter how fast they move they can't push past the people blocking their path. People are squeezing past her and the grip Brian has on her hand loosens, then he's gone. Someone's tugging on her, gripping at her back. As she tries to break free she trips and lands harshly against the ground. The pain is sudden in her knees and she feels the sting in the wrist she's landed on. Her eyes start to water from the pain and she scrambles round, faced with her attacker looming over her. It's not him. This man is shorter than he was, scruffy brown hair and a slight smirk on his face. "Found you."

Alice screams bloody murder as he grabs her by her wrist and yanks her up. People are watching as she continues to fight against him, others are looking on pretending it's not happening. No one is bothering to help her.

"LET ME GO! PLEASE!"

"Sorry, boss's orders." He doesn't sound very sorry.

"PLEASE! NO! BRIAN!"

"ALICE! ALICE!"

Alice can hear Brian but she can't see him. She's kicking and screaming and fighting, she doesn't care if she looks ridiculous but since no one else is going to help her she has to help herself. She brings her foot swiftly back and kicks the guy in the shin causing him to groan and loosen his grip on her. She manages to dig her elbow into his stomach and he doubles over, letting her go "Alice! What the hell!" Brian is there tugging on her arm. "That asshole pushed me out of the way…what the fuck…" He looks down at the man who's kneeling on the floor. It's Alice's turn to grab Brian now and they both run.

"GET HER!" He yells and she hears the thunder of footsteps as she sprints forward, not caring for the people she's shoving and knocking aside, just like they didn't care for her.

She manages to slip round a corner into an empty hall way, Brian still tightly holding onto her hand. The place is littered with doors and she randomly chooses one, swiftly closing it behind her when they are both safely inside. She presses her ear against the floor and when Brian goes to speak she brings a finger to her lips and he obediently shuts up. Alice can hear the footsteps storm past and holds her breath until the voices have died down. They're splitting up, looking for her throughout the halls of stadium, convinced she couldn't have gotten far.

Alice slides against the door hitting the floor with a small bump. The pain in her wrist is too apparent now and she can see the blood seeping through her tights where's she grazed her knees. Brian sits down next to her, kicking a dustpan out of the way. "What – the hell – was that?" He asks.

She pulls her knees up to her chest and sighs deeply as she rests her head on them. "They're after me." She remarks quietly.

"You're the girl he was talking about?"

She nods her head against her knees. She knows if she looks up Brian will look disgusted, or just in complete shock.

"Why?"

"Because I did something really stupid." Her voice is high even though she's trying to remain quiet. "I was just being a good person. I helped someone when any other person would've just walked away and now I feel like I'm being punished for it." She lifted her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Did you see how no one helped? The man was attacking me, grabbing me and no one even bothered to help me. They just watched or pretended it wasn't happening!" The sob escaped her throat and she ducked her head again so she didn't have to look at the pity in his face. "If it was someone else I would have helped. I know I would have. Even if it was the stupid thing to do. But no one ever helps me."

"I'll help you."

She looks back to him and for a moment she actually believes him. "What we going to do?" he asks. "We can't live in here; I've only got one granola bar on me."

"He knows where I live. He was in my house last week." She pulls up her sleeve to reveal the bruises. "He did that to me, and I know for a fact that's not the worst he could do."

'_Even though he held back_' she thinks to herself but doesn't dare say in case of more questions. "Maybe you should go." She says quietly.

"You're mental."

"I have this really bad feeling that if he finds you with me, you'll die first. He snapped a man's neck! We both saw that."

Alice can tell that he agrees but he doesn't say anything. The look on his face is a dead giveaway. "You said you would help me. Right?"

"Course. Anything you need."

"I need you to go back to my nans, check up on her and….if anything happens to me…keep an eyes on her? Look after her."

"But,"

"Please! We're going to have to split up. I don't want to be the reason for anything bad happening to you."

"What about you?"

"I'll try and get out of here, go somewhere safe; where I can hide…When I find somewhere I'll call you."

"You sure?"

She nods. "Promise me you'll look after my Nan?"

He stills looks stunned by the whole thing, but slowly and surely he nods his head. "I promise."

She does something she would never usually do, leans forward and kisses him gently. "I'll go first. Wait here ten minutes."

Alice pushes herself up off the floor and opens the door slowly, poking her head out into the empty hallway. She's all stealth and tiptoes as makes her way down the hall as quietly as possible. Her eyes and ears are on high alert for any sign that they are coming back this way. She reaches the corner when she can hear the muffled voices. She looks. There's a group of those men huddled in a circle and talking, all of them with guns, most of them huge. Alice goes back pressing her back flat against the wall as she thinks of where she could go.

She goes back the way she came, the masses have cleared out and there's only a few people trailing behind. Alice clutches her injured arm to her body and walks quickly past the people; none of them pay attention to her. She can see the gates to the stadium and her head starts to clear of all negative thoughts. She's nearly there, home free. When she hears the cock of the gun she thinks how nice a thought that was, even if it did last all of four seconds.

"You're a slippery one."

She turns and the man from before is stood in front of her, red smeared across his face from the incident before.

"You're going to shoot me?" She knows it's a silly question; this man probably would have done her in now if it wasn't for his orders.

"Luckily for you this isn't that kind of gun."

He pulls the trigger and it hits her arm. She doesn't feel the pain at first, maybe it's the adrenaline coursing through her body, but then there's the tiniest scratch of pain in her arm and she looks down to she see the dart. "Just to make you a bit more compliant. Don't want you breaking anymore noses." Alice's whole body starts to feel weak. Her arms drop and legs fail and she suddenly falls to the ground with a loud thud.

He kneels over her and picks her up, cradling her in his arms are they walk through the lingering crowd who are watching this unfold. She can't move her arms, her legs are dead weight and suddenly it's too much to even keep her eyes open. She doesn't know how long they're walking for, she's scared she'll drift off but manages to keep herself awake even if it all signs would point to her sleeping soundly in the man's overbearing arms.

"Found her in the crowd, gave her the shot like you ask."

She hears the hard breathing and a hand touching her hair. "And what happened to you."

"She got a lucky punch in." Her carrier huffs not sounded at all pleased.

There's a low chuckle and there's no denying that it came from behind that mask. "Place her in the car and follow us back."

Alice can hear it all. The sound of the door car opening and the hard breathing. She's placed on something soft and the door slams shut, then the engine starts. She forces her eyes open, only everything is blurry and distorted. She can see two men in the front of the car and realises she's laid out on the back seat. It jolts forward and she starts to feel sleepy again as the movement of the car starts to lull her slowly. She can't stop her eyes from closing again and suddenly she's in darkness.

* * *

**A/N:_Now the fun can begin. Once again, thank you for all the reviews and followers and favourites. Every time I get one it makes me want to write even more. Also as I've said before this is going to be a slow burner, the 'romance' WILL happen but Bane isn't exactly a guy to go skipping in fields and picking flowers...As hilarious as that does sound...Someone should write a fic like that just for my own amusement._**

**_ Also I apologize for any mistakes. I do re-read but sometimes I just miss things. _**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: _Once again, thank you for all the followers and reviews. You have no idea how happy they make me._**

* * *

By the time they had reached the apartments it was all over the news. People are watching as the motorcycles ride through the streets, everyone knows exactly who they are but no one dares to get in their way. They roll up outside the building and Bane climbs off his motorcycle, ignoring the stares from people as he made his way to the car and one of his men open the back door for him. Alice was huddled on the backseat, the sedative had taken over and she was now sleeping soundly, not a care in the world, at least not for now. Bane tugged at her and easily pulled her over his shoulder as she slumped against him. He wraps an arm around her thighs so she doesn't slip off and he notices that she feels lighter since the last time he has held her. Several men were looking on, smirking at the two of them as he carried her inside, but with a simply glance from Bane the smirks disappeared from their faces and they all stare straight ahead.

He entered the elevator by himself, tightening his grip on Alice and readjusting her when he feels her start to slip slightly. Inside the apartment two of his men were sat on the couch, standing to attention when they heard him enter. They both look confused at the sight before them and one of them steps forward. "We've checked the whole apartment, it's clear." Bane signals for them to leave and they did as they're told.

The apartment will do, not overly large but it has the facilities he needs. It's more luxury than he's use too but the sewers aren't exactly a choice anymore. Bane carries her through the large living room and enters the only bedroom in the place. There's a large bed that should be more than suitable, If not he would have no problem finding somewhere less hospitable for her to sleep.

Bane drops her down onto the bed, Alice bouncing slightly when she hit the covers. He can see the streaks of dirt on her jacket, her tights are ripped and the blood has started to darken and thicken on her legs. The boots go first. He unlaces them and tugs them off, settling them on the ground beside the bed. He then pulls her so she's sat up and drags the jacket from her shoulders like he did so many weeks ago. He even removed that ridiculous jersey that's swamping her and tosses it to the floor. He hears a noise escape her, deep from her chest. He's surprised when her eyes slowly open.

Alice focuses on him and he watches her as her breathing slowly picks up. He's still holding her in his arms, leaning over her. Bane expects her to be terrified, he waits for tears to fall from her eyes as she lays motionless in his arms. He can feel her hand bump against his chest as she lifts it, attempts to move. Her fingers and body twitch but the sedative is too powerful for her to overcome it fully. It needs time to leave her system and it's going to take a while, perhaps the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening.

"M…m …" She's attempting to speak but the words can't seem to leave her mouth. Her hand is able to reach further up and her fingertips brush against the mouth of his mask. Alice's eyes clench shut and he finally sees tears roll down. There's complete silence between them, not even her tears cause a sound.

"This is where you will sleep from now on. You will remain here until I say so."

"Wh –"

"I suggest you sleep now." He tells her. "When you wake you will be able to move again. Now is not the time for tears little one."

He places her down, almost gently, and leaves.

When he reaches downstairs several people are in the foyer and they all snap their attention to him when he walks in. "The girls does not leave the apartment," He tells them, his voice echoing throughout the room. "None of you are to enter when I am not here or when I am not. None of you will touch or hurt her. Barsad," He approaches and holds his gun up, ready to take orders. "Only you will remain inside the apartment until I return. IF she tries to escape you may stop her but only use necessary force. Make sure she does not get the upper hand on you, again." Barsad nods, looking almost ashamed as he disappears into the elevator.

Bane leaves, clumbers back onto the motorcycle without another word to his men.

* * *

Alice awakes several hours later, her eyes are met by darkness shrouding the room and realises she must have been asleep for hours. She doesn't even recall Bane carrying her and being in the room. As she pushes herself up onto her elbows the feeling slowly returns to her limbs. Her head is splitting, like she's had too much to drink. It doesn't help that when she sits up everything starts to spin and she has to rest her head in her hands just to gain some stability. Alice slides towards the bottom of the bed until her feet touch ground. Once the feeling of sickness subsides she stands and goes straight for the door.

The light hurts her eyes when she enters the room. She feels her nerves burn as she walks slowly. It's new and modern and full of things – furniture, paintings, and ornaments – all of them too arty and expensive for a family home. She walks over to the fireplace and picks up a picture nestled there, a several people are together laughing and joking, all of them looking ridiculously happy. She quickly places it back but forces the picture down against the wood so she's not reminded of it.

"You're awake then."

Alice looks over her shoulder at the man from before, only blood free. He eyes her up and down for a moment as he walks across the room, still holding his gun in a big intimidating stance as he waits for a response from her.

"Where am I?" She finally asks, a little surprised at how forceful her tone is.

"Home." He replies.

She feels the shiver down her spine as she looks around the rest of the apartment. Then she wonders which person in that picture was murdered for this place.

"This isn't my home."

He shrugs, almost bored by this conversation but he still carries on talking. "We were surprised when he asked us to go get you... Thought you were that Cat woman at first but you're too young."

She didn't even want to ask what the hell a Cat woman was. "Why is he keeping me here?"

He smirked again and stepped closer to her. "_I_ don't even know what it's about." He stepped closer again, his eyes surveying her. "Gotta say though, he sure picked a cute one."

"Don't you dare come near me." Her attempt to sound threatening failed miserably. Alice may of managed to get a few punches in last time but she still felt too groggy to even think about attacking him if need be.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to touch you, not like that anyway. We're under strict instructions not to play with Bane's things. But if you attempt to run, I have permission to shoot you in the leg." He held the gun up and Alice felt her skin crawl. "I'm not his thing." She shot back.

"We'll see."

"Where is he?" She asks as he turns and heads for the kitchen.

"No idea. But until he comes back you're stuck with me. So you better behave." He drops down onto the couch, resting the gun in his lap. "Alice, right?"

"Yeah." She sighs.

"Looks like you won't be going to wonderland anytime soon."

She rolls her eyes at him and he lets out a small chuckle. "Do you have a name?" She asks quietly.

He quirks an eyebrow. "Barsad."

"That's…um…unusual."

"I suppose it is, Alice. But not as unusual as Bane."

"That can't be his real name."

"Well he hasn't told me any different. How old are you?"

Alice doesn't see any point in lying. "Twenty four."

He looks at for a while, his eyebrows furrowed. "You look younger." Barsad shuffles on the couch, seemingly uncomfortable. "You going to hover there all day or are you going to sit?"

"Can I go back to the room?"

"Your choice." He shrugs. "Doesn't bother me."

She moves quickly, almost running and quickly closes the door behind her. She spots a chair and pulls it to the door and jams it under the handle not even sure if that would work. As soon as she thinks it's safe she rushes for the window. It's large, big enough for her to climb through but it's securely locked. Not like it would do any good if was open. There isn't a fire escape and even if she could get someone's attention she realises they probably wouldn't help her.

Alice spots another door and heads straight for it, to her disappointment it's just a bathroom. She steps inside smacks the toilet lid down and then promptly sits on it. There's a bath, a shower, all pristine and white. It looks like it's hardly been used. She longingly stares at the shower and realises how dirty she feels. The blood on her legs has now dried and she just feels generally disgusting from being carried and bashed about and falling on floors all bloody day. As much as she wants to shower it's not as if she can. There's a clean towel resting on the side but she has nothing clean to change into. Besides, that man could attempt to get in at any moment and the last thing she wants is in here while she's in the shower.

Alice stands and searches throughout the cabinet for iodine or something to clean her cuts but it's full of men's shaving foam, razors, she even finds a large packet of condoms and throws them back in slamming the small door shut. Yanking off her tights Alice discards them in the bin under the sink; they're of no use with bloody holes in. The cuts aren't too bad. On one leg it's just her knee but on the other there's a long fresh wound that travels down and she winces at the sight. She starts to clean the dry blood off her leg using tissue as to not ruin the towel. When she cleans the grazes it stings but at least it's not bleeding anymore.

Alice hears the rattle of the door handle and chooses to ignore it, but she can't ignore the door slamming open and the chair flying against the wall. She lets out an involuntary yelp and she jumps up as Bane walks through the now open door.

"You will not attempt to block this door again girl. Do you understand?"

She nods as he enters the bathroom, eyes settling on her legs. "You will need to clean that properly."

"I know that." She snaps at him. "There isn't anything to clean it with."

He unzips the duffle bag he's holding and pulls out a bottle of iodine, chucking it to her. She's glad that she manages to catch it; all she needs is another reason for him to mock her. "You don't seem pleased to see me, little one."

"I don't exactly have found memories of our first encounters." She retorts at him as she twists open the bottle and starts to clean her cuts properly.

He stays and watches her closely; Alice suspects that he thinks she can even do this without supervision.

"I have things for you." He finally says as he turns his back to her.

"Things?"

"You will need clothes, won't you?" He dumps the bag onto the bed and then sits down. Alice was hoping he would just leave.

Once she's done she walks into the bedroom. His eyes follow her as she purposely avoids him and unzips the bag fully. It's full off clothes. Jumpers, trousers, socks, underwear…"this is – this is my stuff…" He doesn't look back at her but she storms in front of him, holding a bunch of her underwear. "YOU WENT TO MY HOUSE AND GOT MY THINGS?"

He ignores her tone. "I thought you would prefer your own clothes. Perhaps you shouldn't brandish those in front of me."

Alice's cheeks turn red when she realises what she is holding and she goes back to the bag, shoving the contents deep inside. "I can't believe you were in my house…my gran…if you,"

"You Grandmother didn't even realise I was there," He tells her. "Neither did that boy."

"Boy?"

He turns to look at her. "The one who you attended the game with." Bane sounds…almost annoyed.

"How did you know I would be at the game?"

"I know more about you than you know."

Alice starts to empty the bag. It's not all of her things but she realises there's a fair amount in this bag and a horrible through washes over her. "How long will I be here?"

"Until I say." He tells her and looks back over his shoulder. She's staring down at the bag, her lip quivering as she pulls out a jumper. "I need…a toothbrush…I don't know if you have a whole George Washington thing going on under that mask but, I need one. Please."

Bane waits a moment until she looks at him, only then does he nod. "I will get that for you."

She sucks in a breath again and finally finds her nerve. "Why am I here?"

"You've asked enough questions for now little one. It's late, you should sleep." Bane tells her as he stands to leave.

"I suppose you can go fuck yourself then." Alice mutters it to herself, not even thinking about it until the words come out of her mouth. It takes her a moment to see him surging towards her and she feels the back of his hand against her cheek before she can even blink. It's hard, powerful, knocking her sideways as she gasps and pain rushes to the area.

"Continue to talk to me like that and I will have to be more severe." He hisses from beneath his mask. Alice can taste blood slowly creeping into her mouth and she swallows back hard. "That injury will not be as easy to hide; fortunately the only person you have to hide it from is me." Alice nurses her sore cheek and lip as she fights back the tears and battles through the pain. She opens her mouth and blood dribbles onto her hand.

"So every time I talk back you'll just hit me?" She spits back. Bane's taken back by this, this sudden ferocity in her; he wasn't expecting this at all. Not yet.

"No. I won't always hit. I could and will do a lot worse, but you know that from experience."

She can't believe how a threat actually just sounds like normal conversation for him. His voice is so calm when he speaks even though a second ago it sounded like a dagger in her gut. Alice slumps down onto the bed, pressing her hand to her now swollen lip. "So if I'm just quiet and don't talk back - don't say a word - I won't be beaten up?"

Bane doesn't say anything to that as he stares down at her. His eyes are dark, full of rage and she knows he wants to hit her again. "Clean your face." He commands. "Change. Sleep."

The door slams shut and she hears the lock. Alice doesn't do as she's told; she brushes the things off the bed and climbs under the covers before she allows herself to cry. She pulls one of the pillows over her head and screams into it until her throat is raw.

Any moment she's excepting the door to slam open and there to be more punishment, but she's left in the darkness to cry and sob until she finally allows sleep to take her.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything was blurry and out of focus. She could only sense shapes of unknown things, and all the shapes were a shade of grey or black. It was bleak and depressing. But the feeling of despair was greatly intensified when she snaps round and he's standing right in front of her. Bane's hands wrapped around her throat and Alice fell to her knees as he pushes her down and her back presses hard against the cold floor. He climbs over her, his full weight pressing her harder against the wood, crushing her as she struggles. Alice can't breathe. She attempts to reach for him, fight him, but her arms are too short and she's left clawing at air as his thumbs press against her wind pipe.

She's fighting for her life and all it does is bore him. His eyes are dark, cold, devoid of real emotion, watching her as she gasps for air. "Why aren't you fighting harder, little one?" It's not for lack of desperately trying. She's doesn't know what more she could do when she's smaller, weaker and has a giant man perched on her. She's knows she's going to die but for a fleeting second she starts to not care. Then something snaps.

Alice shoots up, clutching the bed sheets and grasping at her chest in horror. She can feel the cold sweat against her skin as she lets in shaky breath and struggles to regain composure.

_It was just a dream. Just a dream. Nothing but a dream._

Alice scrambles out of bed and heads straight for the bathroom, when she catches her reflection in the mirror she feels a stab deep in her gut. Her lip is cut and swollen, a dark garish bruise has now developed on her jaw and there's dry blood on her chin and neck. Maybe she should have cleaned herself last night like Bane had told her to. As she looks at herself in the mirror she wonders if she'll ever look or feel normal again, or at least go a week without being cut and bruised.

She then spots the packaged toothbrush and toothpaste resting on the sink. "Fucker." She muttered as she picks it up and studies it. She can't believe he actually brought her what she asked for.

"A thank you would be more appropriate."

She looks up and sees him in the reflection of the mirror, standing in the doorway with his arms crosses against his large chest.

"Thank you." She says quietly and quickly lowers her gaze back to the toothbrush.

"You should shower and change, perhaps your night clothes would be more suitable considering the time. You've slept for almost eighteen hours and imaginably yesterday's events were far too strenuous for you." She can hear the mocking in his tone but chooses to ignore it. "You missed today's events, but I'm sure it's still replaying on the news." He added.

"Events?"

Bane steps back and grabs something. Alice glances at the brown paper bags reflection in the mirror as he places it on the edge of the bathtub. "Shower. Change. Then I will show you."

When the door shuts Alice peeks into the bag but it only contains shower gel and shampoo. It's still surprising. She takes it out and throws the small bag away before furiously brushing her teeth, the taste of blood is still lingering in her mouth from the night before. She was going to wash her face but instead turns the shower on and undresses quickly. It's cold, too cold but she doesn't care, she needs to wake herself up and maybe shivering from the cold will do just that.

The realisation of all it all slowly sinks in while she scrubs at her skin. Yes, it had been a dream but the fact it could happen was more than a possibility. He had hit her last night just for talking back and had almost strangled her to death for saving his bloody life. Of course this apartment nicer than being trapped in a small room somewhere and being constantly tortured, but she knows Bane could and probably will do a lot worse to her. She scrubs her body harder even though it doesn't make her feel any cleaner.

She finally steps out when she realises she's been in there too long and dries herself quickly before brushing out her hair. She starts to feel better once she has clean underwear on, even shrugging the pyjamas bottoms and a long sleeve top on start to make her feel more normal, like she's getting ready for bed at home and not in some strange place with a psychopath.

Alice walks over to the large windows and pulls the curtains back, which has been open when she had fallen asleep. Alice presses her forehead against the cool glass and looks out over Gotham. She can see most of the city from up here and is glad for a moment that she's not afraid of heights. The sky is dark, no stars to be seen, only a faint orange glow from the fire litters across the city and she starts to wonder what Bane did today. As she looks out at the tall buildings she feels more trapped than ever, and wonders if she'll ever get out of here.

Bane's sat on the sofas when she eventually leaves the bedroom, clutching herself tightly. "Sit." He tells her and she does as she's told, only choosing the sofa that's the furthest away from him instead of the spot he indicated next to him. He says nothing about it and switches on switches on the TV. As soon as it was on the right channel Alice felt her heart sink at the sight of him in his domineering coat, standing outside of Blackgate.

_'Behind you, stands a symbol of oppression! Blackgate Prison. Where a thousand men have languished under the name of this man... Harvey Dent! Who has been held up to you as the shining example of justice!'_

"You didn't blow up the prison, did you?"

"Not exactly." He replies quietly, his eyes flittering back between her and the television.

_'Let me tell you the truth about Harvey Dent, from the words of Gotham's police commissioner... James Gordon. "The Batman didn't murder Harvey Dent, he saved my boy. Then took the blame for Harvey's appalling crimes so that I could, to my shame, build a lie around this fallen idol. I praised the madman who tried to murder my own child. But I can no longer live with my lie. It is time to trust the people of Gotham with the truth, and it is time for me to... resign.'_

Alice could feel his eyes burning into her as she watched.

_And do you accept this man's resignation?! And do you accept the resignation of all of these liars? Of all the corrupt?! We take Gotham from the corrupt! The rich! The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity, and we give it back to you... the people. Gotham is yours. None shall interfere, do as you please. But start by storming Blackgate, and freeing the oppressed! Step forward, those who would serve! For an army will be raised. The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests, and cast out into the cold world that we know, and endure. Courts will be convened. Spoils will be enjoyed. Blood will be shed. The police will survive, as they learn to serve true justice. This great city... it will endure. Gotham will survive!'_

As soon as it's over Bane shuts it off and the room is filled with silence. "So little one, what do you think?"

Alice was thinking a lot of things but nothing she wanted to say to him. "You don't really have a face for television. Then again you don't have a voice for Radio."

He seems annoyed but he doesn't act on it. "Surely you have an opinion about today's events."

"I don't know." Alice said softly as she avoids his gaze. "But you certainly know how to make a speech. You have to take a class for that?" She knew he was smirking; it was so obvious underneath that heinous mask. She was suddenly afraid she would get another smack for being cheeky.

"I merely spoke the truth."

"Truth? So you want the truth? Well then, I thought it was sick. I can't – I can't believe the commissioner lied about Harvey Dent."

Bane seemed taken aback by her answer. He was watching her closely as she continued to stare at the now blank screen, not even daring to move her eyes to him.

"But you. You let all those people – animals, out. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I know exactly what I have done. I freed the oppressed. They were being contained under a lie."

"They were contained for a reason! They are murderers and thieves and rapists! You're insane! You killed all those people and you trapped the police underground!

"I am merely giving Gotham back to its people."

"And destroying Gotham in the process. We need rules. They're there for a reason."

"You wish to be oppressed?"

"I wish to feel safe."

"But these rules have not protected you or your family, have they?"

Alice felt sick as his eyes burned into her. "Shit happens."

"And you have apparently endured. So will Gotham."

She shook her head. "What about the elderly people? Kids? The people who can't protect themselves?"

"What is happening to Gotham, it will eradicate the weak from this city. You are not built to survive such things. If you were out there little one, you wouldn't last. You would fail and end up with your parents. Ah, maybe that's why the release of those prisoners upsets you so much. Perhaps you are more upset about the potential people I let out"

"What?"

"You're mother's murderer."

Alice's blood ran cold. "I thought…he…he's still at Arkham." She replied silently.

"They deemed the man who murdered you mother insane?" He seemed surprised by this. Alice thought that if he had done research into her he wouldn't have overlooked that.

"Because he is. He killed a whole bunch of other woman. My – my mother wasn't the only one."

"What else did he do to your mother?"

She completely ignored his question. "You haven't let them out of Arkham have you?"

"I haven't decided what I will do with the inmates in Arkham yet. But you haven't answered my question."

Her eyes snapped to him and she pushed herself up from the couch. "I don't want to talk about this and you have no right to ask me about it. I'm sure as hell not talking to the person who is keeping me hostage about it."

She starts to storm to the bedroom but as soon as she reaches the door she snaps back round, her eyes glued to his. "Why I am here? Why me? There are a million other woman in this city. Probably far better looking than I am."

"You believe this to be about your looks?"

Alice realised what she said had been ridiculous. "No."

"You rather someone else be in this position?"

"Well…No!" She was so frustrated she could have screamed. "I just don't understand what you want with me."

"You wouldn't." He calmly replies, even leaning back in the chair to show how bloody relaxed he is.

"I'm ordinary! I am one of the most uninteresting people on the planet! I don't understand what you could possibly gain by keeping me here."

He remains still for a moment, the only sound in the room the deep mechanical breathing from his mask. As he stands Alice automatically steps back away from him as he walks forward. He's still towering over her and she pushes herself back just so she doesn't have to be so damn close to him. His eyes work over her and she sees his fist clench tightly and unclench.

"You were not the only person to come across me that evening. Other woman saw me, all of them ran. Some men even came down that alley, most fled. Others took it upon themselves to mock me when they saw my debilitated state. Even thought it would be humorous to get a few kicks in." He stopped for a second and lowered his gaze. "But you didn't. I could see the fear overcome you but you continued to help me. You say it's because you're a good person and I believe that you honestly think that, but I also believe morbid curiosity was a factor in it. Tell me little one, would you have still helped me if you knew the conclusion?"

"Why do you call me little one?"

"You are little."

"I'm not a child. Maybe you're too big."

"Maybe you're too little. Answer and stop attempting to avoid it."

She sighs. "Probably not."

"Probably? So if you knew you would end up trapped in this apartment, with me, hurt and away from the ones you love, you would still help me?"

It took a while but she finally answered. "No. I wouldn't help you."

"Does that not make you a bad person?"

"I think it makes me a sane one."

He chuckled but it seemed too forced.

"So…you're what? Punishing me for being an idiot?" She asked.

"You're too innocent little one. Too pure. You believe you would survive out there?"

"I would try." She hisses at him and starts to go back to the room; he grabs her roughly by the arm forcing her to stay in place not matter how much she struggles against him.

"You would fail." He tells her sharply and pulls her close so his face is next to hers. "But in this apartment, you will remain safe. No one can touch you here."

"Except you." She snaps back as his hold on her arm tightens and starts to ache. His free hand comes up and Alice tenses for a second and closes her eyes as she prepares herself for the blow. She's more surprised when she feels the pad of his thumb drag against the cut in her lip. "Except me."

* * *

**A/N: I still can't believe the number of followers and reviews. Geez. If this chapter goes down well I'll try and get the next one up as soon as possible.**


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as Bane's hand left her face he walked off down a small hallway, the slam of the door following shortly after. Even though her stomach rumbled Alice shot to her own room and slipped under the covers. Fortunately sleep came quickly that night and she awoke the next morning to an empty apartment

Now she was alone Alice had the proper chance to search her new surroundings. She looked properly through the fridge and cupboards and was actually surprised when she found them both full of food. She grabbed an apple and took a large bite while she went to survey the rest of the apartment. She first found herself stood outside the room that he had disappeared to the night before. She rattled the door handle but it was firmly locked. She even pressed her ear against the door but there was nothing. Alice could only assume he wasn't there because surely he would have emerged by now to punish her for trying to get in.

There's another door which is open but it only contains a washer and dryer and its supplies. Alice attempts to open the front door but of course, it's locked. There isn't even a peephole so she can't look outside to see if he has left anyone to stand watch, although that probably was likely.

Alice finds more pictures around the apartment that she didn't notice the first time she was in there, most of them of a young couple. She grabs the ones she can find, even the one off the top of the fireplace which is still face down and hides them in various draws just so she's not reminded of them. The last thing she wants is to think about the people whose home this used to be. She continues to wander, looking at the different books on the shelves and the stacks of DVDs. There's a draw full of bills, addressed to a Mr Thomas Pegg. Alice's stomach starts to hurt and the rest of the apple quickly goes into the bin.

She changes into her jeans and a sweatshirt and spends the rest of the morning laundering her dirty clothe even though she's not sure if she's allowed to. Lunch is spent eating a proper meal of scrambled eggs and toast and the rest of the afternoon she goes through the dvds sorting them into ones she's watched and one's she hasn't. If she's stuck here and every day is like today she realises she may have to start watching them just to take the edge off the boredom. It's already two o'clock when she's done and she pulls a book at random off the shelf, three pages in she's already bored and puts it back, closing her eyes she chooses another random one.

Bane doesn't come back for three days and it that times she finishes the book, starts a new one and watches seven films.

Alice is nestled on the bed, knees up and a book resting on them when she hears the front door open and close. Her door is open and she glances at him as he walks past ignoring her completely. Alice lowers her eyes and continues to read, assuming that maybe if she remains quiet he'll ignore her completely.

"You have remained in the room all this time?"

No such luck. She doesn't bother to look up, she just continues to read although the words that won't seem to sink in. "No." She replies quietly and turns the page.

As he walks in she pulls her knees closer to herself and sinks further down into the bed in some attempt to make herself as small as possible. Bane is now at the end of her bed, looking her over. "You have made no attempt to escape."

"Well all the doors are locked, so are the windows and even if they were open I would fall to my death. Besides, if I get out you'll just come hunt me down like I'm a gazelle or something. Only not as adorable."

She can feel his eyes burning into her as she continues to pretend to read her book. Why can't he just leave?

"You believe I will rape you."

Alice finally raises her head just because those words from his mouth were so unexpected and very, very unnerving. "I…I don't," Alice's voice is quivering as she attempts to speak but she has no idea what to say. All she knows is that his hands are flying to her ankles, wrapping tightly around them and he's yanking her harshly down to the bottom of the bed. She doesn't scream or yell but she still battles against him as he grabs her face and forces her to sit up so it's close to his. "Be certain of this, _little one_. If I wanted to take you I would have, many times by now."

"You don't want me like that?" She released when she blurted it out her voice sounded too hopeful. She could see the corners of his eyes crinkle and she was certain then that he was smirking underneath his mask. "Any _man would_ want you like that." Her heart is suddenly racing and she can feel the heat radiating from his body. Right then she felt as cold as ice and she's starting to feel sicker by the second. "But I am above man. Above their primal emotions. I find no pleasure in forcing a woman to do such a thing like some men would."

"Just find pleasure in hitting them." She shot back.

He pinched her face harder and she felt his hand wrapped around her arm as the amusement in his eyes disappeared and they returned back to a cold dead stare. As she stared at them she noticed the piercing blue that stared back and she realised she had never noticed their colour before, even though she had looked at them so many times. "Have I ever shown pleasure when I have caused you pain little one? I do not believe so."

"You just looked bored." She admitted.

"Causing pain to someone is far too easy for me. Especially when it is towards someone as weak as you are. I prefer a challenge when I fight, although that does not occur often."

"Sorry I'm not built like the hulk." She snapped back as she finally managed to pull her face out of his grip but his hand is still on her arm. "But above man? You're not a god."

"No. but perhaps you should go pray to yours to help you in your time of need."

"I don't in believe in god." She said quietly. He suddenly lets go of her and steps back, allowing Alice to push herself back to the head of the bed and even further away from him. "How can I believe in something like that when I've had so much taken from me?"

He seemed surprised by this. "So you have no faith?"

"There is nothing to have faith in."

His fingers dipped into one of his pocket and he pulled out her crucifix. "Then why did you wear this?"

Alice stared at it as it glittered in his hand and she wondered why on earth he had it on him. "It was my mothers." It felt so wrong telling him something so personal. "It's the only thing I have of hers. I don't wear it for religious reasons, only sentimental ones."

"You do not believe in a higher power?"

"No. But you obviously believe yourself to be one."

He chuckled. She decided then that sound shouldn't be allowed to come out of him. "Perhaps I am. What makes you think I'm not? I am stronger, faster, more intelligent than you are,"

"And that gives you power over me?" She hissed back, not allowing him to finish. "Because you're stronger, faster, more intelligent? You're obviously older than I am and you've been around longer. I'm only twenty four and I've never been outside Gotham. I won't apologize for…for being average! Just because you see yourself as above human, that doesn't make you…a god, or a higher power. From the things I've seen you've done I've only seen a monster. If you were anything I would say you're more like a demon than a god."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Bane replied coldly and the tension seemed to rise even higher. She was expecting more but he only looked her over once more before finally leaving her alone.

* * *

Alice didn't see him at all the next day or the one following and she was rather glad to be deprived of his company. Three more days past until the front door finally opened, but this time it was a woman carrying a large brown paper bag. She walked slowly to the kitchen, her eyes locked on Alice's as her footsteps echoed against the wooden floor. Alice was just trying to figure out where she had seen her before. "Food for you." The woman informed her as she set the bag down on the counter. "I see you've tidied."

Alice had spent all of yesterday dusting and scrubbing just so she had something to do.

"Yeah, I did." Alice finally responded as she stood up from the couch, crossing her arms across her chest. "You're…you're Miranda Tate, right?"

The woman smiled and lowered her eyes. "That is the name you know me by, yes. And you are Alice."

"Yes."

"After the book?" she asked ever so nicely.

"I don't think so. I like to pretend my parents were big Alice Cooper fans. Makes for a better story."

Miranda smiled again. "It does. Humorous even when in a situation like this. I can see why Bane wants you around." Somehow, that didn't make Alice feel better. "You are probably wondering where Bane is." Miranda or whatever she was called added.

"Not really. I just want to know how long I get to be away from him."

Her smile quickly disappeared and her eyes drifted over to Alice's mouth "If you behave yourself he will not hurt you." The cut had started to heal and the bruise had turned yellow, but it was still obvious and suddenly Alice felt very conscious standing near someone like her.

"Bane hit me for talking back." Alice informed her.

Miranda's eyebrow quirked up. "Is that all? I've seen him kill more useful people for less. He must like you."

"I wish he didn't."

"If he didn't you would most certainly be dead by now. You're safer in here anyway."

"Well I don't want to be locked up in here."

"Trust me. You do."

Alice watched her as she started to empty the bag. "Why are you here? Delivering my groceries?" Alice asked.

"I wanted to see who Bane decided should have the privilege of living with him."

"Are you…his girlfriend?" The idea of Bane having a girlfriend was so absurd Alice almost laughed; thankfully she managed to keep it held back. Miranda did chuckle. It sounded lovely coming from her lips, her accent making it role around her tongue but considering the situation it made Alice's stomach turn. "Oh no. Nothing like that. He's my oldest, my dearest friend. I love him like a father."

Alice couldn't imagine anyone loving him in any way, or him reciprocating that feeling.

"I see you have attempted to escape." Miranda glanced to the door and the scratches that surrounded the lock. "When he sees that it will upset him."

Upsetting him was the last thing Alice cared about.

"But I must be going." She finally declared as she started to walk towards the door. "Perhaps you shouldn't try to leave again, it won't end well for you."

* * *

Alice was in a dark room but she could hear it. It echoed around her and sent a chill down her spine as she covered her ears and forced her eyes shut. She could smell blood. Alice shot up and rubbed her eyes, forcing them to open so she could peer into the dark room. The only light was coming from the streetlamps outside, attempting to break through the small cracks in the curtains.

"Are you awake – little one?"

She should have felt terrified but she was too tired to even try and feel it. Alice wondered if he would leave if she didn't answer but of course he had obviously felt her move when she awoke. Alice reached over and turned the lamp on allowing a dim light to flood the room. Bane was sat at the end of the bed hunched over, his breathing had a slight wheezing quality to it and Alice felt the corner of her mouth twitch, she immediately shook it off.

"I need you – now." He told her, not turning to look at her or moving from his spot.

Alice obeyed, climbing out from under the covers and walking slowly towards him. The first thing her eyes shot to was the blood all over his torso and spread across his arms. His mask was askew and four of the little spider legs loose from their fittings. His breathing was laboured, the pain obvious from the way he held himself. For a moment a thought flashed through her mind. How easy would it be to kill him while he was like this? But deep down she knew even in this state he would still be able to snap her like a twig before she even managed to hurt him in the slightest.

Alice didn't wait to be told what to do. She kneeled in front of him and brought her hands up to twist one of the little legs back into its hole. He was watching her closely, probably expecting her to rip the rest out instead of putting them back in. She was trying not to look at his eyes only concentrating on the mouth piece. She could still feel his eyes burning into her and her own couldn't help but flicker to his. The usual darkness and cold was gone, replaced by pain and curiosity. She felt sorry for him for a brief second, for the constant pain that must plague him. She had figured out long ago the mask was obviously for pain relief. She had seen the scars that trailed down the back of his neck and wondered if they carried all the way down. When she felt something drip against her leg she looked down to see the bright red. The pity she felt disappeared.

Her hand moved to the second one when she stopped suddenly. "What would happen if I didn't fix it? Would you die?"

"Would you – want that?"

She wanted to say yes, she wanted to say it a thousand times. Instead she remained silent.

"I would be in pain – little one – more so than I am now."

"But you wouldn't die?"

"Why would I inform you – if that were to happen – when you could use it against me?"

She guessed he had a point but Alice still leaned back further away from him. "Why can't you fix it?"

"My fingers are too large for such intricate fixings."

Alice stayed back, watching his chest rise and fall, the pain never leaving his eyes as he waited for her to do something.

"What exactly does it do?"

"Fix it – and perhaps I will explain."

Huffing slightly she finally raised her hand to the second loose fitting. As soon as the last one was placed there was hiss from his mask and his eyes flickered shut as relief washed over him. This time she leaned up so she could reach the back of his mask, fixing it so it now sat straight upon his face. Her face was so close to his that she held her breath and for a second her eyes met his curious ones. She kneeled back down, watching him with morbid interest as he straightened his back and wiped blood from his brow with the back of his hand.

"I thank you, little one."

"Is that someone else's blood on you?" She asked quietly, already knowing the answer and feeling stupid for asking it.

Bane looked down at her with amusement. "It is a mixture of others as well as my own, yes. Does it bother you?"

"Yes." She answered, trying to make it sound as cold as possible.

He laughed. "Would it make you feel better to know I was in tremendous pain just now?"

"Yes."

Again he let out another hollow laugh. "And you are probably waiting for me to tell you about my mask."

She remained silent, knowing exactly what was coming next.

"Well I will not. You will have to earn that information."

"Didn't I just earn it?"

Bane stood now, unstrapping the vest from his body and letting it drop to the floor. She could see the cuts on his body, his arms. They weren't deep. So that had to mean the blood that was thick and heavy on his skin obviously wasn't his own. "No. you did not." He remained stood there, staring down at her. All she could do was stare back.

Eventually he walked past her and for a brief moment she was hoping he would leave. When she heard the hiss of the shower she moved and sat on the edge of the bed, taking his place. He had left the door wide open and she could see the rest of his clothes discarded on the floor, specks of blood now on the tiled white floor. Suddenly she remembered the blood and looked down, watching as it trailed down her leg and wondering if that drop was his or someone else's. She started to feel sick. She decided she couldn't wait until he finished to get this damn blood off her. Walking slowly to the bathroom she glanced towards the show. He was turned away room her, both hands pressed against the wall as he dipped his head and let the water trail over his skull and down his back. Her suspicions had been right; the jagged scar ran all the way down his spine. Alice felt a stirring in her stomach as she tore her eyes away and quickly grabbed some tissue to clean away the blood. Once she was done and had discarded it she turned to leave and was met with him staring at her. She suddenly felt cold and ducked her head as she ran out, climbing into the bed and hiding under the covers. She was just thankful she had only seen his torso.

Alice wanted to fall back to sleep so badly that as soon as her head touched the pillow she squeezed her eyes shut. Instead she found herself listening as the shower shut off and his wet feet touched the tiled floor.

She hoped he would leave again like he did the other night. She didn't know if she could stand him being near her after knowing that he most likely killed people only a few hours ago. When she heard the mechanical breathing in the room she felt her stomach tighten. '_Please leave. Please leave'_ she prayed to no one.

The bed dipped next to her and she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. She was certain that he was leaning next to her. The sound of his breathing was too close to have just been simply lying next to her. After what seemed like an eternity she felt him role away from her and soon enough his breathing seemed to be deeper, more even, that's when she slowly climbed out of the bed and grabbed the pillow she had been using.

"Where are you going?" The sudden sound of his voice shocked her and she clutched the pillow to her chest.

"To sleep outside. On the couch."

"You will remain here. Lie down."

"But – you're here. Can't you sleep in your room?"

"_My room _does not have a bed little one and tonight I wish to sleep in one."

"Why do I need to be here then? You can have the bed, I don't care." That was a lie. She also knew that not being able to lie next to him made her seem weak but how was she meant to sleep next to someone she loathed so much?

"In case you attempt anything stupid."

Alice held back the scream and all the words she wanted to call him as she placed the pillow back. She climbed under the covers again when she noticed he was on top of them, at least there would be that barrier between the two of them. She remained at the edge of the bed and as far away from him as she could get.

All she wanted was to be blissfully unaware the she was lying in the same bed as him just so she could fall back to sleep. Perhaps even that was too much to ask for.

* * *

**A/N: _Once again thank you all. And I know my spelling and grammar is...urgh, it's atrocious. I do proofread but I always seem to notice everyone's mistakes apart from my own. So once again, I apologize._**


	8. Chapter 8

Bane had seen the scratches on the front door the next morning. When Alice emerged from the bedroom a swift punch to the stomach forced her to double over and tears to leak from her eyes as she cradled her stomach and gasp in agony. She had asked why. Of course she had. Bane knelt in front of her and gripped the back of her head as he forced her to look at him. "Because you tried to leave. _Never _try to leave" He was surprised by how quickly she leaned. There had only been one incident where he had to punish her since, and that had been a little under a week ago. Now most of her bruises and cuts were completely gone and she had even started to look at him again.

He hadn't lied when he said he wouldn't rape her but he could still feel her hesitant around him whenever they were in close proximity. She refused to change in front of him, always rushing to the bathroom to hide from him. Even at night she would stay at the edge of the bed avoiding him at all costs and tensing whenever he came near her. He actually rather enjoyed having such an effect on her. Of course there was no surprise caused by the fact she didn't trust him, she had no reason to. If she let her guard down so early he would have been disappointed.

Bane watched Alice as she sat on the floor of the apartment, flicking through the records she had found in one of the cupboards. She pulled out a record and turned it over, reading the back before her eyes drifted to him. When she saw him looking at her she hadn't flinch like she normally did or even look away, in fact she stared back. "Do you listen to music?"

He was surprised that she spoken first and considered her for a moment, then finally nodded. "Yes. Perhaps not the music you listen to."

"Watch films?"

Another surprise. "I've seen a few older ones. I do not care for it."

She pulled out another record and after a quick examination set it down in the pile next to her. "How do you eat? Do you ever take the mask off?"

He had expected these questions. She had already questioned him about the mask and had been waiting for the subject to come up again. Of course she was bound to be curious, how could she not be? Everyone was always curious about the mask. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm intrigued." She replied with a small shrug. "I saw you wearing it in – in the shower." Her cheeks started to turn a light pink and Bane smirked, he wondered how much the little one had seen. "I've never seen you without it. Do you eat or, are you a like cyborg or something?"

Or something. "No little one. I am not a…cyborg. And yes, I can take it off and I do. To eat, brush my teeth."

"So they're not wooden?"

He smiled and was glad she wouldn't be able to see it. If anyone else had talk to him like that he would have responded in a less than sweet manner, but he found himself growing tired of seeing the bruises on her skin. He was tired of hearing her cry every night when she would locked herself in the bathroom and switch on the shower to drown it out. He heard it all.

"So why don't you take it off in front of me?"

"Would you want me to take it off in front of you?"

Again her cheeks turned darker at the tone he used when he answered. Her eyes shifted to the floor as she once again shrugged. "What does it do exactly?"

Bane leaned back in the char, his eyes focused on her the entire time. She had been obedient for most of the week, he hadn't had to punish her at all. Perhaps allowing her this wouldn't be so terrible. "It administers an analgesic."

"Morphine?"

He shook his head. "The man who invented the substance named it Venom."

A laugh escaped Alice's throat and she immediately looked horrified as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"You find this funny?" he asked. Alice shook her head. "I'm sorry." She blurted out and quickly went back to the records.

They remained in silence after that. Alice didn't dare look at him and he only ever glanced at her. Her hair gently fell around her face as she lowered her head, hiding her in a curtain of hair. Bane remembered it feeling soft under her fingertips, then again every part of her was. Everything thing she did had a graceful quality to it, even the way she flicked through the records as her finger dancing along the tops and slid along the edges.

He remembered the way her fingers had brushed against his mask.

"Would you be angry if I played music?"

His thoughts were interrupted and he looked over to her. "If it made me angry would you care?"

"Do you always answer a question with a question?"

Another smile escaped him. "No."

She expectantly looked at him and he assumed she was waiting for him to say that she couldn't play her music. "You may play it."

Alice had actually smiled for a second before she slid the record out of its cover and kneels up to place it on the player.

"You were six when your parents died?"

Alice tensed for a moment as she switches the record on. The sound of Springsteen started to fill the apartment. "When my mother died."

"And your father?"

"Don't you already know all this?"

He did know all of this, but he wanted to hear it from her. "Your father's death. Tell me how old you were."

She fell back to the floor, crossing her legs. "Nine."

"Tell me about their deaths."

"I don't want to talk about that."

"Have you never discussed it with anyone?"

She raised her head and narrowed her eyes. "What about your parents?" She shot back crossing her arms against her stomach. "Or were you developed in a lab?"

"Both of them are dead." He simply stated.

"Oh." He saw something that looked like pity in her eyes, but it was fleeting.

"When did your mom die?"

"When I was a young boy."

"And your dad?"

Bane focused his eyes on hers, daring her to look away. "I killed him."

She stared at him for a while, obviously taken back by his confession. That didn't stop her from carrying on with her questions. "Do you remember the first man – or woman, you killed? Or have there been so many that you've just forgotten?"

Bane wasn't sure how much he should divulge to her but he supposed there was no harm in humouring her. "I was eight. It was a man. I stabbed him with a shiv."

"Eight? A Shiv? Were you in prison?"

He narrowed his eyes and with a slightly shocked expression Alice lowered her eyes. "No wonder you're psycho." She muttered.

Bane was up in an instant, grabbing her by the collar of her top and swiftly lifting her. "NO, PLEASE!" She cried but he had already bashed her against the wall, her head hitting hard against it. He could see her she was thrown by the sudden pain but her eyes flash with anger and she swung a clenched fist towards him. Bane caught her wrist just before it comes into contact with his head. "What do you plan on doing?" He asked as he squeezes it and there's a sudden crunching noise. Alice screamed in agony but he doesn't let go, even when she falls to her knees and the screams continue to escape her. "STOP IT!"

"Will you try to hit me again?" He clenches tighter and she cried again. "PLEASE! I swear I'll never do it again! ARGH! PLEASE DON'T BREAK IT PLEASE!"

There was a knock on the front door. Bane dropped her wrist as he looked to it, then held out his hand for her. Alice refuses it and pushed herself up with her good hand, and he's suddenly reminded of the evening that he first met her. "You will need to ice it." He tells her as if she had bumped it and it hadn't been him who had almost snapped it.

Alice pulled up her sleeve slightly and frowned at the hand print almost burnt into her skin. Bane had gone. She could hear muffled voices outside the front door as she walked to the kitchen and grabs a dish cloth, placing it flat on the counter. Her hand is shaking as she grabs a tray of ice from the freezer and throws it down, chucking the ice onto the cloth before wrapping it up and pressing it against her wrist.

Bane is back. She heard the door close and he walks to the kitchen, stopping a meter from her. "You will need to wrap it."

"Like you care."

"If you learnt to control your anger, if you hadn't of swung at me I would have hurt you."

"I don't need to learn to control it. I'm not an angry person, I'm only angry when I'm around you! Maybe you should take your own advice." Before he can say anything Alice marches to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

As soon as the door is closed Alice kicked the bedpost in utter frustration. All she wanted to do was scream and yell and punch and kick. How can one person be so calm one second and psycho the next? Her wrist is in agony and there's still a dull ache in the back of her head. As she sits down on the edge of the bed she can feel the tears trying to force their way out but she refuses to let them fall. She's so sick of being weak.

The door opens and Alice turned away from him, choosing to face the window instead. When he walks round and kneels in front of her she had the sudden urge to kick him in the face. "Your wrist little one." She sighs and holds it out for him. For a moment she's afraid that he's going to cause her more pain, but he pulls her sleeve up and starts to tightly wrap her wrist with a bandage he produces from his pocket.

Alice is utterly amazed. He's only causing her minimal pain as he handles her slender wrist in his over bearing hands so gently. His hands look like they're built for destruction, not to be gentle, so she's amazed that they can be. "Do not ice it anymore. You will cause more damage." He's finished and glances at her a final time before standing and moving away from her. "I'm leaving now. Rest."

As soon as she's heard the front door shut she grabbed her boots and tugs them on, tucking the laces inside seeing as she can't do them up. She's had enough.

Alice paced around the living room until she builds enough nerve. Now her mind is set on doing it she can't bring herself not to. Alice stands in front of the door to his room and rattles the door handle. Of course. It's locked. So she kicks it. She kicks it with everything she has but it only rattles, so she does it again and again and again until she can see it start to weaken and a small stab of triumph hits her. She knows he's going to be angry but in the moment she doesn't care. She needs to do something and this is the only thing. Alice pressed herself against the wall, sucked in a deep breath and then charged at it. As soon as her body comes into contact with the wood it flings open and she ends up falling against the floor.

She landed on her injured wrist and the pain causes her to cry out, but she's in.

After several deep breaths she pushed herself up and realises that she's in a small office. Only it's his clothes in there and there are papers scatters all over the desk. She looked through them but they're not in English. There's Spanish, some Russian. She even notices handwriting pieces in Latin.

But the thing that grabbed her attention was the teddy. It's old, dirty, and one of its eyes is missing. She turned it over when her fingers brushed against an opening in its back and she places it on the table for further inspection. Her fingers brush against something and she pinches it between her fingers and pulls it out. It's her mother's crucifix. Alice twirls it around and shoves it into the pocket of her trousers as she kneels to the floor in front of a large metal case. She unbuckled the locked which caused the lid to swing open and the blast of cold air hit her. There were vials, hundreds of them. All lined up in neat little rows and all filled with a bright green liquid that seemed to glow in the light when she picked it up and studied it properly. This must be the Venom.

She looks up when the flash off white catches her eye and she sees heavy snow falling outside the window. She then sees the railing and her heart starts to race. It can't be.

Alice places the Venom carefully back in the case and locks it before she stands up and looks out the window. Sat just outside is a fire escape.

When the window glides open she could cry. The cold night air hits her face and it never felt so good. Alice climbs out and the metal rattles under her feet causing her to grab onto the railing. She takes a seat, her legs sliding through the metal bars and gently swinging off the side. It's so cold now. She's shivering as she sits there, her good hand gripping onto the metal bars as she breathed in the cold air. It would be so easy to climb down and just run for it, but she knows what would follow wouldn't be as simple.

Bane's going to punish her for breaking down the door to his room anyway; maybe just going for a walk wouldn't be terrible? As long as she's back before he is, and he could be gone a couple of hours or a couple of days.

Her mind made up Alice clumbers up and starts to make her slow descent down the fire escape. When she reaches the ladder the nerves start to hit and her brain is screaming at her to go back. But she can't. As soon as her feet touch the ground she knows it's too late to go back. While she had this freedom she was going to enjoy it.

It felt so good to feel ground under her feet, hear the snow crunch as she walked down the alley and peaks round the street corner. It's dark. The only light coming from the dim street lamps and there's no one around. Exactly what she needs. As she walked she can feel the chill start to settle in her bones and suddenly she wishes she had brought a jacket, even if attempting to get it on would have been more than difficult. But it felt nice to be outside. Feel the wind on her skin and snow beneath her boots. Being trapped up in that apartment was starting to make her go crazy. She even ran for a couple of blocks just to stretch her legs.

It felt odd being out in the middle of Gotham and not seeing a soul there. Alice suddenly felt more alone than ever.

When she heard the sharp scream she wished that it were true.

It close by, she can tell that much. But this is all too similar to that night and she can feel herself shaking as she stands there in the cold. Although she's not sure if it's from fear or because she's freezing. When the scream feels the night again her feet seemed to move on their own, following the noise until they've reached its maker. Alice seems the two of them, a woman struggling on the ground as a man pins her down, his hands forcing hers above her head and his knee forcing hers apart. "Hold still you stupid cunt!"

Alice steps back and pressed herself against the wall, shutting her eyes tight. But she can't block out the woman's begs and pleas to stop this happening.

Alice doesn't know what to do.

"Please! Someone help me! Ple – " Alice hears the sound of a slap ring out clear. "Shut up or I'll slit your throat you fucking bitch!"

Alice thinks back to that day at the stadium as she starts to freeze with fear. How everyone watched on as she begged and pleaded for help. She remembers that no one did. Her eyes snap open and she can feel the fury in her as she pushed herself off the wall. Maybe Bane was right. She was Stupid. Well she had to be stupid to be doing this.

Her footsteps were light against the ground but still made soft crunching noises in the snow. The woman's attacker didn't even see to notice. He was too preoccupied unbuckling his trousers as Alice notices the piece of wood nesting against the wall. She tries to pick it up with one hand but it's not enough. She bites her bottom lip as she uses both hands to grip it firmly. It hurts like hell and she's sure she's going to end up damaging it even more.

The woman had stopped screaming but Alice could hear the soft sobs that escaped her throat. Alice let out a high whistle and the man froze, slowly turning his head. A loud crack ran out through the air when the wood came into contact with the side of his skull. He falls lifeless to the ground. .

The woman scrambled back, clutching herself as she realises that the ordeal is over. Alice's eyes are focused on him.

"Is he dead?" The woman asked but her voice is so quiet Alice isn't even sure if that's what she had said.

Alice can't tear her eyes away from him. "Are the ambulances still going?"

"Yes, but,"

"Then go call one."

The woman looked at Alice as if she was the one attacking her. "You can't be serious? Leave him! He deserves it!"

Alice knew what he had tried to was wrong, but she didn't know if he deserved to die because of it. "It's not our place to decide whether someone dies or not. Go call an Ambulance."

"If you hadn't meant to kill him then why do that!"

Alice had no idea. She hadn't meant to hit him so hard, or even in his head. Just enough to hurt him, cause him pain. The fury had built inside her and she could feel it all pouring out into that swing. The last few weeks of being held prisoner, strangled, hit. It had all flooded out as she had lifted that piece of wood that she was still gripping in her hands, but she had never meant to kill him. The pain in her wrist didn't even seem to register to her in that moment.

"You know I just stopped you from being raped, maybe killed. A thank you would be nice." Alice snapped at her.

The woman lowered her eyes and nodded. "I am thankful. I'm sorry, it's just,"

"I understand. But it's still not our place to decide. Call an ambulance then just go home. If he dies…well then it's on me isn't it." Alice was trying not to let her fear show, or how disgusted with herself she was. She had saved this woman but had potentially killed someone trying to do it.

"But,"

"JUST GO!" Alice screamed. The way the woman was staring at her, she couldn't take it. And the scent of blood that filled the air was starting to make her feel sick.

She heard the running footsteps of the woman but didn't bother to actually watch her leave. Alice glances down at the wood and sees the blood dashed across the bottom. It falls from her hands and clatters against the ground. She doesn't know what to do. Alice bends over him, rolling him onto his back, trying to see if he's still alive. Her fingers press against his throat but all she can feel is the warm blood against her hand.

Alice fell to her knees next to him and watched as the red starts to stain the snow beneath his head.

* * *

**A/N: And it's going to get a lot darker from here. Thank you for reviews and to the the reviewers who corrected me on the past tense, present tense thing. Sometimes I don't even realise I'm doing it and I think I was much more careful this chapter. I really should get a beta.**


	9. Chapter 9

Alice had watched him for a few moments as the idea that he was dead settled in her mind. Then his breath stain the night air and she forced herself behind him, settling his head on her lap as she scrunched up the bottom of her jumper and use her good hand to cover the large gash that resided on the side of his head. The snow around her knees had turned to dark red slush and her hands and forearms were covered in his blood. Alice had sat in the alley for almost half an hour when she heard the roar of the ambulance siren. When she looked up and saw it parked at the bottom of the alley and heard the slam of the doors she scrambled off the floor and ran.

She kept running, only stopping to catch her breath when necessary. Even the stich that developed in her side wasn't going to stop her until she reached the front door and she was hitting it so hard with her good hand that it hurt. "GRAN! GRAN! OPEN UP! PLEASE!" The house was in total darkness and for a moment Alice was terrified that she wasn't there. When hall light turned on she let out the breath she was holding, and when she saw her grandmothers shocked face through the glass she started to cry.

Her grandmother hurried towards the door as soon as she saw who it was and opened it wide. "Alice! Are you hurt? The blood!"

Alice shook her head. "It's not my blood." She bawled, almost leaping on the old woman, sobbing as she grabbed her grandmother tight and started repeating how sorry she was. She felt her grandmothers hands sooth her hair and back and soon she realised the elderly woman was crying too. "Oh, my sweetheart. Oh, I thought I would never see you again."

Alice just sobbed. She clung to her grandmother, not even letting go when she was pulled inside and the door was shut behind her. She wasn't sure how long they remained standing there just holding each other but it didn't seem like long enough.

Eventually her grandmother forced Alice to sit at the kitchen table as she scurried about making tea. The girl remained seated as she stared at the blood on her hands.

"Sweetheart, do you want to shower?"

Alice shook her head but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She was certain if she had a shower now she would attempt to drown herself in it.

"What happened? What is it him? That…man….Bane." His name rolled out like poison from her grandmother's mouth.

"He didn't do this. I did this."

"Tell me, did you….did you hurt him?"

The image of the man lying in the alley flashed in her mind. "How did you know I was with him?" Alice suddenly asked, confused. Her grandmother frowned as she set the mugs of tea down on the table and then took a seat herself. "That boy, Brian, who you went out with that day, he told me. After he left I went to your room and some of your things had gone, but I knew you would never leave without saying goodbye. I knew it was that man."

"Brian told you?"

"He was reluctant too. But I had to know. Has he hurt you? Did he – did he do anything….to you?"

Even though the old woman didn't show in it her face Alice could see it in her eyes, the fear that was slowly started to wrap around her heart. For the first time she noticed that her grandmother looked thinner, paler. Over the passing weeks Alice had wondered about her grandmother being safe in this new Gotham, but she had never really thought how her disappearance would have affected her grandmother's life.

This was all too much. She just wishes she had never left that stupid apartment. Bane was right, she was stupid.

She spots her grandmother looking at her and Alice realises she's been quiet for too long. "You mean rape me?"

Her grandmother grabbed the hand that Alice had rested on the table and squeezed it tightly. "Oh, sweetheart." She looks at her poor granddaughters face. Her puffy eyes and swollen lips. All she wants to do is take care of her and make this entire thing stop. The poor girls been through too much already and she wasn't sure how much more her granddaughter could take before – before it happened again.

"Gran, he never raped me. He…hit me a couple of times, he's messed up my wrist but, no, he never did that. I don't think he would have."

"He hit you? Why? Why would he hurt you? You've never harmed anyone in your life! You even helped him, though goodness knows why."

Alice stared into her mug. If she looked back at her grandmother she was certain she would start crying again. "I have to go back."

Her grandmother slammed her hands down on the table causing tea to spill and even Alice jumped back. "NO! You are not going back to…to that monster!"

"Gran, I have to. He'll come here, he'll hurt you!"

"I'd like to see him try!"

"Gran, no offense, but you're 5'3, seventy six years old and weigh a hundred and twenty five pounds. Whereas he's built like the terminator and he will not overlook hurting you because he knows it will hurt me. If anything happened to you because of me…" Alice sucked in a deep breath as she felt her eyes sting again. "I should never have come here. But I was so scared after what I did and I just, I just wanted to see you so badly."

"What did you do? Alice, I need you to tell me everything."

It was two A.M and Alice was sat on the couch in the living room. She had yet to wash and dress, instead she had been sitting there for the last hour staring at the blank television screen. Her grandmother hadn't spoken to her after Alice had gone into great detail about the incident that night. She had even told her grandmother everything she had gone through, but the old woman hadn't said anything back.

She now shuffled in and took a seat next to Alice on the sofa, handing her a small bag. "I found my wrist splint from that time I fell over. It's best you use it."

"Thank you, but I can't. When I go back, if I have it he'll know I left the apartment. I won't be able to come up with a good lie to cover it."

"You're not going back." Her grandmother sternly said.

"I have to."

"No! No, he's already taking you once; you won't go away with him again. I should have listened to you when you asked to leave. I knew something was wrong, I could feel it in my gut!"

"Gran, this isn't your fault, it's mine!"

"No, it isn't. It's not your fault, you're kind hearted and he's trying to destroy that. Take advantage of that. That man is evil."

Alice wasn't sure of that anymore. She didn't know if evil was the correct word to use for him even though she had called him that herself. "I don't know what he is, Nan."

"He's a sociopath."

"They tend to be drawn to our family."

"That's not funny."

Alice smiled sadly. "I wasn't trying to be. Who knows? Maybe I'll even get to see my birthday in two weeks."

It was now her grandmothers turn to shoot her a sad look. "Please don't do this, Alice. What kind of grandmother would I be if I allowed you to go back to that man?"

"And what kind of granddaughter would I be if I allowed you to get hurt? I can go back and he won't even know I was here. If I get back before him I'll wash, change, he'll never know I left. And if he is there….well he'll just think I left, got scared after what happened to that guy, then came back from sheer terror."

"You have to stay strong around him Alice. You can't let him get to you. If he manages to break you, you may – "

"What?" Alice suddenly shot in.

Her grandmother lowered her eyes. She hadn't meant to mention. "We don't need to talk about that. But what about the man? The one you hurt."

There were too many emotions flowing through Alice in that moment, but the one that lay heavy upon her was the quilt. "You can pray for me that he isn't dead."

* * *

Bane had walked back into the apartment and was met by the soft scratching coming from the record player as the disc continue to turn but no music escaped it. The bedroom door was ajar and the bed was empty. When he heard the soft whistle of wind come from the back room he stormed to the open door and his eyes set on the open window. Too small for him to fit through, but perfect for her. His papers had been thrown about but he put that down to the wind and not her actions.

He smirked. So she was trying, good.

"Sir."

Bane turned to face his solider. The boy seemed scared in his presence but he held his ground well. "There were reports of an attack, a few streets from here."

Sudden anger flared inside him. "A woman?" Of course she would get herself hurt within mere minutes of trying to escape. Now she was probably dead.

Stupid little girl…

"No sir. A man. He sustained a head injury. We checked out where it happened but there wasn't anything there, just a lot of blood."

Bane raised an eyebrow. "Where is he now?"

"Dead. He died in surgery at the hospital."

Was this her doing? Surely not. "I need you to go out and find the girl, undoubtedly she would have gone – "

Bane paused when he heard the sound of rattling metal and sure enough, when he looked outside the fire escape was shaking slightly. Why on earth would she possibly come back? As soon as he saw the open window he had assumed that she would have run back home, back to her grandmother. He had never expected her to actually come back.

"Never mind. Leave."

Bane waiting in the living room. He could hear her as she climbed through the window and fumbled about, even falling to the floor with a small oof. He heard the window slide shut and then more fumbling about. He was starting to become increasingly annoyed.

When she stepped out into the hall and saw him standing there she hovered back in the shadows for a moment, then with a finally deep breath stepped out.

Alice brushed her damp hair out of her face as she stared at him, chewing on her bottom lip. She was trembling but it wasn't from nerves or from terror. She was cold. He could see the light blue in her skin and how are arms and legs seemed to move with certain stiffness. What did she expect going out in such flimsy clothing?

Her thighs, knees, and the bottom of her jumper were covered in blood; it was also dried onto her hands. So she was the one to attack that man, but a simple hit to the head wouldn't have caused her to be covered with so much blood. The anger burned inside him at the sight of it. That could have easily been her blood spread across that alley; she could have been the one lying dead on a hospital gurney. He pictures it, the blood and skull matted in her hair, her eyes wide and pale as she lay there dead. He's seen it may times before with many different people, but for some reason because it's her it caused his fists to tighten just to stop them trembling from anger.

"That was very foolish." He found himself saying. "Coming back, was very foolish. You do realise that I am going to punish you, do you not?"

She nodded and looked down to her bloodied hands. "I'm sorry." She said quietly and sniffed. "I knew you would come after me anyway."

"So you decided to harm a man then run back here?"

Her head snapped up and her lip trembled as she spoke. "How did you know that?"

"The blood was a slight clue" He almost chuckled as he studied her jumper. "That, and the fact I was just informed of an incident a few streets from here. That was you."

She nodded.

"Why? I do not believe you to be the type of person to attack another for no reason. Did he – attempt to hurt you?" The thought of another man laying their hands on her, hurting her, made the anger flare up even more.

"He was attacking this woman and…I had to do something."

He glanced back to the bottom of her jumper. Scrunched up and heavy with blood. "Then you tried to save him."

"I didn't mean to hit him so hard. I was so angry and, I don't know what happened."

Bane moved forward. His hand came up to gently caress her cheek, and feel exactly how cold she was. Alice didn't flinch or move away. Her eyes met his and she still didn't falter. The green in her eyes seemed darker than ever.

"You are probably expecting me to hit you now, aren't you?"

She nodded and he saw her jaw lock at his words.

"But I think, perhaps, this time I will have to punish you differently. Physical violence doesn't seem to teach you, and this was not merely talking back. You left, even though I gave you specific instruction not to." His hand slid round to the back of neck, his skin shockingly warm against her freezing flesh. "You think you can search through my things, little one? Break into my room and rummage about?"

His free hand forced itself into her jeans pocket and he felt her stiffing as his fingers touched the necklace. "Take things that are no longer yours."

Alice just stared blankly up at him as he pulled it from her pocket and shoved it into his.

"Go and change. Clean yourself."

Alice quickly hurried past him and into the bedroom. She pulled her boots off and undressed. Everything she did was slow and laboured, causing her to wince with each movement. It didn't help that she was cold and shivering but the removal of the damp clothes seemed to help slightly.

Next was the shower. She unwrapped the blood stained bandage from her hand and wrist as she let the hot water pour over her. The swing from before had caused her wrist to swell and turn an ever darker purple. She was starting to worry that she may have seriously damaged it. She washed blood from her arms and hands; there were even patches of it on her legs and stomach from where it had managed to seep through.

Bane's reaction had been more than surprising. She had expected him to beat her within an inch of her life. Hit her and choke her until she couldn't take it. But she was sure that whatever he came up with instead was probably ten times worse.

Drying herself and changing was agonizing. Despite standing under the boiling water for almost half an hour she could still feel the chill that had set in her bones and couldn't seem to shake it off. It took a while but she managed to dry her hair until it was only damp, and then she managed to pull fresh underwear and pyjama bottoms on. Now was the tricky part of getting her top on.

The sound of the door opening caused her to turn her back to it and cover herself with the arm it didn't hurt to move.

"There is no need to cover yourself when you are around me." She heard him say.

"Yes, there is." She replied softly. She so badly wanted to dress but that would mean having to uncover herself.

Bane looked Alice over, her skin now red and flushed from the hot shower. She had obviously scrubbed herself raw, trying to remove the lingering feel of blood from her skin. He allowed his eyes to work over the curve in her back, her waist, her light skin. He had never found his thoughts drifting to what she would look like nude, that hadn't been why he brought her here, but he found himself fighting back the desire he had to reach out and touch her, feel her smooth skin against his calloused fingers.

His forced his thoughts back to the matter at hand. "Are you embarrassed of your body, little one?"

"No." She shot back coldly even if it was true. "It's just, embarrassing to have someone look at you when – "

"When you're not with someone you plan on being…intimate…with?

She could sense him standing behind her now. He then placed a firm hand on her shoulder allowing it to linger before forcing her to turn to him. He took the t-shirt from her. "If I am to help you, you will need to uncover yourself."

"I don't need help." She automatically answered.

"Oh, but you do."

He waited. Finally with a small embarrassed groan Alice dropped her arm but she couldn't force herself to look at him. Bane was surprised she had dropped her arm with such little complaint. If she had insisted that she didn't need his help he wouldn't have bothered. Yet here she was, half nude before him, her cheeks flushed red. He watched her as she stood stiff, arms locked at her sides as the embarrassment spread throughout her core. His eyes skimmed over the swell of her breasts, her arms. He may call her girl but she was anything but, and it had been so long since he had set his eyes on a woman's naked flesh. He brought his hand up and skimmed his fingers across her collar bone, the skin soft under his fingers. That's when she stated to shake in fright. He found his fists tighten on the cloth when he finally placed it over her head and helped her to guide her sore arm with gently ease through the sleeve.

Of course men had seen her naked before but this was completely different. She was weak, tired, and vulnerable. Then again she was always vulnerable around him. She didn't like the way he lingered. She could feel his eyes wonder over her body and she hoped that he found her disgusting. When his finger brushed against her skin she could feel the warmth radiate off him, but she just started to feel ill. When she finally did force her eyes to open, she could see his eyes fixed on her body, but there wasn't disgust like she had wanted, there wasn't even lust, just plain curiosity. She was rather glad for it.

"Thank you."

She hated thanking him but knew if she didn't he would say something about it. Bane now sat on the end of the bed, watching her as she picked up the bloodied clothes off the floor.

"I don't suppose if I washed them now I could get the blood out?"

"In my experience blood is not an easy fluid to wash out."

She frowned at the clothes and threw then back into a corner.

"You will need to come here so I can re-wrap your hand, little one."

Alice stood in front of him and held her arm out. This time he was harsher, wrapping her wrist even tighter and not loosening his grip when she hissed in pain.

"You were right." She blurted out.

He didn't speak for a moment, only continued to wrap the bandage as tightly as he could. "I usually am. But perhaps you would like to tell me exactly what I was right about."

"That I wouldn't last five minutes out there."

"You seemed to protect yourself tonight."

She laughed slightly and shook her head. "Because I caught him off guard. But while I was sitting there, trying to stop him from bleeding to death, I started to think….why? His death would mean one less scumbag out there, that's all."

"But you continued to help him even after you thought that." He finally said.

"Yes."

"Always the rescuer." He replied coldly and sharply. "When will you learn?"

"I don't know."

He raised an eyebrow and she looked up at him with watery eyes. "What will you do? To me?"

Bane looked at her for a long time, but said nothing. Alice could only feel stupid for thinking he would actually tell her. He finally released her hand and she studied the clean bandage on her arm. Alice noticed she was still shivering slightly. The goosebumps were apparent on her skin and she could feel her muscles tighten and shake of their own accord. Bane stood and his hand touched her forehead, his fingers still too warm against her skin. "You will need to get into bed little one. You were out in the cold for far too long. You didn't dress appropriately."

She could sense the anger in his tone, but she wasn't sure if it was directed at her for leaving or just not dressing fittingly for the cold conditions. "I wasn't exactly planning on it."

With another angry look from him she climbed into bed, burying herself deep under the cool covers. He switches the light off for her but he doesn't leave, instead she feels the bed dip at the bottom as he sits back down and she can hear his soft breathing as it comes out low from his mask.

As soon as her head hit the mattress she found her eyes slowly closing and everything becoming heavier. Her mind wouldn't allow her to fall into an easy sleep, scenarios played through her mind of what he could do, what he would probably do, but the exhaustion she feels is too great and soon it forces her to fall into a deep sleep.

Bane doesn't move, surveying her as her breathing starts to come out in deep and even strokes.

Not even the blood that she had spilled tonight could penetrate that innocence, that soft side she had for humanity. She had saved that man not because she felt guilty but because she thought it was the right thing to do. She had saved Bane, a monster in her eyes; because she thought it was the right thing to do. Even after the hits, the violence, she still tended to him when need be with her gently touches and small caresses.

He should have killed her. He wanted to. When he saw the open window he had wanted to hunt her down, snap her pretty little neck in two and watch the light leave her eyes. He had wanted to punish her for leaving, for going out there and getting herself into trouble. But she had come back. She stood in that hall covered in blood and shaking from the cold, even daring to meet his gaze, and as angry as he was, he was also impressed.

She was affecting him; he hadn't expected that at all.

He heard the knock on the front door. With a glance back to her he stood and left, making sure the bedroom door was closed behind him. Basard stood outside the front door, file in hand, and smirk on his face. "I have the files  
from Arkham you wanted. I also found a little extra." His eyes shot to the bedroom door. "Her files."

Bane took the files and closed the door before setting down on the couch, discarding her file and opening the other. He ignored the front pages, skipping straight to the list of slayings, his eyes scanned over the list of names until it landed on the one he was searching for.

Kendrew.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry. I meant to get this up sooner but family issues happened. Thank you for the reviews once again. **


	10. Chapter 10

_Here it is. Finally. _

* * *

_She could hear the sobbing echo from downstairs as she lay in her bed. Glancing over to her sister in the darkness she couldn't see her asleep, but she couldn't hear the gently breathing that escaped her, and the soft whistle of her snore. She pushed herself up and climbed out of the bed as softly as she could, tiptoeing across the floor being careful to avoid the squeaky floorboard just outside their room. _

_She could see the light from the living room flooding the hallway, and then the soft sound of footsteps freezes her in place. She sees the figure exit the living room and leave through the front door, closing it quietly behind him. She waits a while before walking slowly down the steps. She can hear the blare of television becoming louder with each step. _

_Her mother is sat on the couch facing the television, but the only thing the young girl notices is the crimson covering her front, dripping from the slash on her throat._

Alice awoke, hot, shaking, and the image of her mother's corpse imprinted in her mind. She didn't remember much of her childhood, but that was the one thing that had stuck with her no matter what. How could someone forget something like that?

She leaves the room, expecting Bane to be on the couch waiting to deliver her punishment, so when she sees a random man sitting in Bane's place she can't help but be more than a little surprised. "Who are you?" Her attempt to sound brave falters; the quiver in her voice undeniably shows fear.

He looked up and stood as soon as he heard the sound of her voice. He was lanky, with arms like twigs, his shaggy dark hair falling around his face as he smiles a bright toothy grin. In any other circumstance Alice would almost say he was cute, he couldn't have been much older than she was, but this wasn't a normal circumstance, this was far from normal. Besides, she hated the way he was smiling at her, like he knew a secret she wasn't allowed in on. He's wearing the same attire all of Bane's men seem to wear, bulletproof vest, combat pants and heavy boots. Alice notices the gun laid out on the table. She doesn't understand why he would bring a gun up here, Bane doesn't. Then she realises with his less than impressive muscle mass he probably couldn't fight anyone else, give her a good beating, maybe, but unlike Bane he probably couldn't snap her neck with a single hand spasm. Her eyes are fixed on the firearm for too long, because soon he's stood next to her, breathing heavily.

"Bane sent me up. Said I had to keep an eye on you."

Immediately Alice feels uneasy. Its the way he's looking at her, leering at her really, like he hasn't seen a woman in months. She had become so use to being around Bane that being dressed in just her pyjamas wasn't an issue anymore. Now someone new had their eyes on her and suddenly she just wants to run back to her room. "He never sends anyone up here."

The man shrugged as he looked her over and after a moment starts to walk back to his seat, she finally lets out the breath she was holding. She watched him as he sat down on the couch, setting his feet on the small coffee table and a pang of annoyance vibrates in her chest. "Bane doesn't like that." She says quietly.

"Well, he isn't here, is he?" The man replied as he looked back over at her and pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "He doesn't like this either, how about you?"

Alice shakes her head. He smiles once more as he places one between his lips. "You've been asleep an awful long time. You know it's almost two in the afternoon?"

"I wasn't aware." She mumbled, not that she really cared, sleeping for the rest of her life sounded like an extremely pleasant idea right about now. When the foul stench of smoke starts to edge towards her she storms back into bedroom and remains there for the rest of the day. She could hear him outside, shuffling about, going through things. She tries to sleep again, failing miserably. She can't sleep while he's on the other side of that door and she's not sure what he'll do. So she reads, for hours her mind focuses on the book, successfully blocking out all noise he's making. She's not sure how long she's sat there but it isn't until she finally lifts her head to stretch her neck that she heard the click of the door and he emerges, leaning against the doorway.

"You got it pretty made up here."

She resists the urge to roll her eyes. "Being held captive, always pleasant." She muttered back, her eyes dropping back to the book although every word she reads doesn't seem to sink in.

He walked in, studying the furniture and items, a small smirk creeping onto his face when he reached her pile of clothes and traces his fingers over her underwear.

"Keep your hands off." She hissed at him, squeezing the book tightly in her hands and forcing herself to ignore the ache in her wrist. The desire to throw the book at is head is strong but all she can do is sit there, fighting back the urge.

"What are you going to do about it?" He snapped at her. He wasn't as scary as Bane, he didn't have the overwhelming size and the way he glared at her wasn't nearly as intimidating as a simple glance from Bane could be. That didn't stop her mind coming up with the worst scenario possible that could take place right then. "So what's the deal, you fuck him and he keeps you safe?"

"No." She spat back.

"Cause," He looked her up and down, his eyes settling on her breasts as he leered. "He doesn't seem to want to share. I'll admit it though; he picked a good looking one. Does he tell you how pretty you are when he fucks you? I can't imagine it, he doesn't seem like the type,"

"I think you should wait outside the apartment."

"Because if it were me, I'd fuck you raw every chance I got."

That's it. Alice stood from the bed, looking across at him in utter disgust. "Get out. I don't want you near me."

"How do you know he didn't send me here for this exact reason?"

"He said he wouldn't do that to me." The tremble in her voice is clear, and it just seems to make him grin more.

"He said _he_ wouldn't?" The man chuckled. "Did he say anything about the rest of us?"

"I believe, I told you not to lay a finger on her."

The man quickly stood to attention at the sound of Bane's voice. As Alice looked over at him looming in the doorway she could see the anger in his eyes, and it was all directed at the man. Bane didn't even bother to glance at her.

"I believe, I told you not to touch her, or speak to her, or go near her."

"You did, sir."

"Then why, are you in here, with her?"

The man's eyes flashed to Alice. "I – I don't know sir. But I didn't lay a finger on her."

Bane enters the room fully now, his footsteps heavy on the floor, each one seems to sound louder than the last. "You touched her belongings, and if I hadn't entered the apartment at this moment, you would have touched her." He finally turns and faces Alice who's watching the whole display from her corner. "Tell me, with which hand, did he touch your belongings?"

"Um," Her eyes dart back and forth between Bane and the pile of clothes as she tries to remember. "I – I don't remember."

"Are you sure, little one?"

She keeps her eyes on Bane, she can't even force herself to look at the other man. "It – it might have been – the right. I'm not – " She doesn't even get to finish her sentence. In less than a second the vulgar sound of cracking reaches her ears and deep cries of pain ring out throughout the room. He's on his knees, Bane's hand is wrapped around his and every time Alice sees Bane's muscles flex the bastard on the floor cries out in agony. "Perhaps now, you will learn to listen to instructions properly, boy." He twists again and another yell fills the room. Alice presses herself against the wall as she watches the spectacle in front of her, but she can't seem to look away. Bane eyes her for what seems like hours before he finally lets go and looks down at the guy. "Now you may leave, you are no longer required."

The man scrambled off the floor, not even daring to look over to Alice as he staggered out of the room. Only when the slam of the front door rings out clear does Bane bother to look at her, inhaling deeply as he does. That's when Alice finally speaks. "Was that really necessary? Breaking his hand? I mean he shouldn't have touched my pan….my things, but still,"

"If he had placed that hand on you I wouldn't have just broken it, little one. It would no longer be attached."

That shut her up.

"You will need to get dressed, we have somewhere to be."

"Where?"

He breathes deeply again, eyes locking with hers as he ignores the question. "Will you require help changing?"

Alice looked over to the pile of clothes and then down at her bandaged wrist. It still hurt and she knew that she would need his help if she was to dress quickly, but she couldn't stand the thought of him seeing her like that again, even the thought of his hands touching her after what just occurred made a chill crawl up her spine, gently she shook her head no.

Raising an eyebrow he starts to take slow steps towards the door before addressing her once more. "I suggest you dress warmly."

Half an hour later she emerges from the bedroom, fully dressed and a thick jumper underneath her jacket. Bane smirks slightly from beneath his mask. He says nothing as he stands from the couch and unlocks the front door, holding it open for her. She glances nervously between the two, but eventually she walks out and he swiftly follows. There's a car waiting outside for them and once again he holds the door open for her.

It's a long drive; Alice watches Gotham as it rolls past but the only thing she can seem to think about is how Bane is so bloody calm after what just occurred. If he did that to someone for just touching her things then what the hell was he going to do to her? She had left. She had disobeyed him. She had gone through his things. Deep down she knows what he's going to do to her is going to be far worse than what that man received.

'_This time I will have to punish you differently. Physical violence doesn't seem to teach you'_ His words have been going over in her mind all day and right then they see to ring out clearer than before. She knows better than anyone how damaging emotional scars can be. Cuts, punches, she can deal with that no matter how much it hurts, her wrist will heal eventually. But she doesn't know how much more emotional damage she can take before she finally snaps. Maybe today is that day.

When the tall dark buildings suddenly turn into trees and thick greenery she sits straighter and turns to look at Bane in the front seat. "Where are we going?"

Bane doesn't answer; his eyes are focused on the road ahead. Alice sinks back into the seat as nerves spread throughout her stomach and the bile starts to violently churn. She recognizes this road and sudden realization occurs. She knows where they are going. When they roll through the front gates of the asylum it takes all her will power not to be sick in the back seat.

He leaves the car first. Alice reaches for the handle but he's already there, opening the door for her. The first thing she sees is the dark, old, almost ruined mansion before her, somehow it looks different from the last time she was here, but that was almost ten years ago. She remembers the screams, piercing eyes from the inmates and guards alike. All the fears from this place that have settled deep inside her, hidden away, start to claw their way out of their hibernation. "What are you going to do? Give me electro-shock therapy?" She knows that here of all places it's one of the better things that could happen to her.

"I wouldn't need to bring you here to do that."

As he walked on Alice stood there, a look of horror plastered on her face. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or if that was his poor idea of a joke. Once she snaps out of her daze she follows him, but still keeps a distance between the two of them. They walk past security; the men say nothing as they breeze on by and enter the cold dank building. The first thing to hit her is the smell of disinfectant; it surrounded her like a cloud of poisonous gas. The place just seemed sterile, basic, and functional. Faded walls with streaks where it had been cleaned, same with the cold hard floors. Alice was so busy looking around she didn't even realise that Bane was talking to someone until she heard the shrill voice.

"He's still in his room but we'll bring him over as soon as possible. Is his visitor here yet?

Bane turned to look at Alice, in doing so she saw the blonde haired doctor that was stood in front of Bane, and upon seeing Alice her face broke into a wide smile. "You must be her!" The blonde strutted over to her and took Alice's good hand in her own. "I'm Doctor Harleen Quinzel."

"Like the clown." Alice said without thinking. She could see the corner of the doctor's mouth twitch as soon at the words, but she still kept on smiling. "Perhaps you shouldn't come along, Bane," The doctor remarked once she let go of Alice's hand and turned back towards him. "While you were here early you upset some of our more…violent…patients."

Alice almost snorted as soon as she heard that, but the quick cold glance from Bane stopped her. She was surprised he hadn't smashed the young doctor's face in for suggested it to him in the first place. When he didn't answer the doctor shrugged and walked away, Bane following shortly. Alice followed the two of them through the cold halls, ignoring looks from members of staff as they walked past. Some were looking at her but mostly their eyes were fixed on Bane, probably wondering why the hell he wasn't locked up and was able to walk into the asylum without a care in the world.

When they finally reach a small corridor with a singular chair and several doors, the doctor turns to them and smiles again.

"It's just in there," She tells them as she points to the door. "You can wait there while I go get him."

"Get who?" Alice asked, but the doctor just smiled and winked at her before strutting down the corridor, humming sweetly to herself.

Bane entered the room first. It was small, cramped, with dirty walls and two chairs both facing a large window. When Alice stepped inside he closed the door behind them and watched her closely as she stared out of the window and into the room opposite. It was only slightly bigger, but this time a table separated the chairs held within. "One-way mirror?" Alice asked and looked over to him. Bane nodded as he strolled over and stood behind her, then pulled the jacket from her shoulders. She was too warm in here. He could see the red in her cheeks from wearing the thick layers; even so she was still shaking from the fear of what lay ahead. "So, who is she going to fetch?" She finally asked, folding her arms against her stomach.

"I believe you already know the answer to that."

He could see her breathing quicken as she stared into the other room, her body even started to tremble slightly. "So…my punishment is what? You're going to let him kill me too?"

Their gaze broke when they heard the unlocking of a door and two guards entered the room opposite with a man between them, chains binding his hands. Alice held her breath as he was pushed down onto a chair. He was tall, skinny, dressed in dark grey clothes and just as bald as Bane. His skin was dull and dirty, his face sunken in and tried looking. Her eyes spot the cuts covering his long arms.

She turned quickly, sliding against the glass until she hit the floor. "Please don't make me go in there." She suddenly blurted out. He could hear the absolute terror in her voice, the way she clutched herself and swallowed hard as she fought back tears. "Please, do anything else to me but don't make me go in there."

"Do you fear him more than me?"

Alice didn't even need to think about it, the nod was instant.

"Do you even know his name?"

"Yes." She said quietly. "Victor Zsasz." The terror that consumed her was still there, it was obvious, but Bane could sense something else as he watched her dig her nail into her arm. Anger. Rage. Hatred. "It was in the papers. And I know he's killed a lot more people than just my…my mom." She remembers seeing the cuts covering the murderer's arms, and she wondered if the rest of his body looked the same. "A lot more."

"HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN ON KEEPING ME IN HERE, DOCTOR?"

At the sound of his voice through the speakers Alice shudders in disgust. It seems to pierce right into her as she covers her ears. "I'm not going in there."

"It is not up to you to decide that." Bane remarks.

"Yes it is!" She cried at him. "And I'm not going in there. I'm not going to go and sit in a room with the man that killed my mother!"  
"You have no choice in this matter."

Alice pressed her hands to her eyes in some poor attempt to not let the tears fall. She can't cry in front of him again, she won't allow herself to. "Please." She whispered. "Please don't make me go in there. I can't. Please?"

He kneeled down in front of her then, forcing her hands away from her face and tilting her head up so she had to look at him. "I will not allow him to kill you, do you understand?"

"I understand, I just don't believe you."

Without another word he tugged her up and forced her out of the room. The guards and the doctor watched as he stops in the corridor and pulls the knife from his pocket, lifting it to her face and pressing the cool metal against her cheek. "You have a choice to make." He tells her as he leans in close. Alice eyes are focused on the blade in his hand; she can't seem to tear her eyes away. "You must choose what to do, little one. Allow the man whom murdered your mother and so many others to carry on living, to be allowed to carry on with his pitiful existence, or finally avenge her."

He held the handle of the knife out for her and as soon as she takes it firmly in her hand the door opens, and he pushes her inside. Even though it slammed shut behind her Alice turns and rattled the door handle, but it was no use, it was locked tight.

The air suddenly felt staler as she inhaled deeply. She stayed facing the door, her hand tight on the handle as she listened to the wheezing breathing coming from behind her. It was much worse than having to listen to bane's mechanical breaths.

"Would you like to sit?" He asked every so politely, his voice sending a chill down her spine as she stood facing the door. She said nothing, remaining perfectly still and allowing her eyes to close as her grip on both the knife and door handle tighten, she even ignores the throbbing pain in her wrist as she tries to block everything out. She hoped Bane would get bored and just open the door and let her out, but she knew it was silly to hope for that.

"You do look so like your dear mother."

That snaps her out of it. She turns, holding the knife behind her back as she presses herself against the door and forces herself to look at him, even if she is terrified to. "What?" He had to be lying. He wouldn't have remembered her mother, she was just another body to him, another throat to slice, and he couldn't know who she was unless someone told him. Maybe that doctor did.

"You have the same hair. I remember how soft it was, how the curls felt under my touch. Same eyes." His eyes never leave her, constantly darting from her face, to her hair, to her body. Just talking about it, her mother, she can see the pleasure in his eyes even when his face is so void of any emotion, but she notices the corner of his mouth twitch, as if he's trying to supress a smile.

The she has on the blade tightens.

"Shut up." She hissed at him. _Shut up shut up shut up._

"Lara, I believe her name was. Lara Kendrew. You're the spitting image of her." Alice noticed him run a long finger over a jagged scar on his arm. "I suspect that your blood is the same colour too, that it flows just as easily. Tell me. Have you ever experience the joy of cutting cold steel into warm flesh?"

"Stop it!"

This time he allowed himself to freely smile. "That's what she said. But they always say that. The knife slid against her so easily, how could I stop?" He ran his finger against the scar again, shivering at the touch. "This was her mark; perhaps I'll put yours next to it."

"Why her?" The question just spills from her mouth. Alice forces her voice to stay strong as she asks the question. She can't allow any weakness right then, even if she does feel like collapsing into a heap on the floor as she stares into the cold eyes of the man who destroyed her family.

"Because I could. Because I wanted to. I saved her from the misery that was her pathetic existence. I gave her the gift of salvation." His head tilts slightly to the side as he studies her and seems to sit straighter in his chair. "Is that why you're here? To ask me these questions?"

"I'm being punished." The answer is automatic; she doesn't see the point in lying.

"You have sinned?"

Her eyes move to the mirror as she thinks back to the man she had injured, the snow, and the blood. It then occurred to her that she didn't even know if he had survived or not, and she wondered if Bane knew. Surely if he did he would have tormented her with that knowledge, allowed her to feel even guiltier than she already did. Perhaps he would even try to drag her down to his level, how they're not so different after all, both murderers with someone's blood on their hands. She pulls the knife out from behind her back and it manages to glint in the low light of the room. "I suppose you could say that."

"Ah, you're here to kill me! Is that it? To settle the score?" Something raw settles over his twisted features, she had no idea what he was thinking; she doesn't even want to imagine what going through his twisted little mind.

"I don't think – that I can."

When she hears the scrap of wood against the floor she spins around and forcefully grabs a hold of the door handle and rattles it once again, even when she knows it's pointless. His hands grasp at her back and she's swiftly being jerked back towards him. She doesn't even think, she just swings her hand that holds the knife and is grateful when she feels it sink into him, in fact hearing him yell seems to bring her this intense satisfaction that she's never felt before. He stumbles back as she turns towards him. He's staring down at the knife embedded in his thigh before his eyes shoot back up to her. "Well, that was – unexpected..." She can hear the tremble of pain in his voice, but mostly it's cold venomous anger that's spilling from his mouth. Looking at her with blood shot, desperate eyes, desperate for her blood, he grips both hands around the handle, and yanks the bloodied blade from his thigh. As he raises it above his head there's a gleam in his eyes that can only be his desire to see her blood spill next.

As soon as Zsasz pulled the blade from his thigh, Bane had stormed out into the hall, followed by that moronic doctor. He watches as she struggles with a large ring of keys, trying desperately to find the right one.

"Open, this door, now!" He barks at her.

"I can't – I can't find the key!"

"Then why lock it in the first place, if it's so difficult to find?"

"Its procedure!"

"OPEN IT."

She still fumbles with the dozens of keys when he pushes her out of the way and forces his body against the door. Twice more and it bursts open forcing him to find Zsasz on top of Alice. His Alice. Her hand is wrapped around the blade of the knife as Zsasz attempts to force it down against her neck. Blood leaks from in between her fingers and drips onto her as she struggles to keep the blade from penetrating her skin. She can't keep it up for much longer. Her arms are trembling as this point and she had to remind herself that she can't slip or let the excruciating pain overwhelm her, or the first place the tip of the blade will go is straight into her neck. It doesn't even register in her mind that Bane would help her; more than likely he's stood on the other side of that glass, watching, probably enjoying it as she struggles for life. She didn't hear the sound of the door opening, the only thing she can hear is Zsasz breathing overwhelming her, his eyes bright with pleasure as he forces the knife down harder and harder. Then she catches a glimpse of Bane over Zsasz shoulder. At first she thinks he's just come in to watch her death up close, but quickly she notices the dark anger in his eyes. The heavy weight pressing down on her chest is lifted off her as Bane reaches down and grabs Zsasz by the neck. As he's being dragged from the room she lets out a cry of relief, but her hand can't seem to let go of the blade that's sunken into her flesh.

Bane throws Zsasz out into the hall, both guards already pointing their guns at the patient as he lays limp against the wall. But Bane isn't done, not by a long shot. He kneels in front of him, grabs him by the scruff of his overalls and starts to punch as hard as he can. He feels flesh come into contact with his knuckles, then blood, then feels the crunch of bone underneath his hand. He hasn't beaten a man to death for some time and he starts to remember the intense satisfaction that comes from it.

All the while Alice has managed to push herself up and press her back to the wall. She allows her hand to open, blade dropping to the floor with a clang. The pain in her hand is excruciating and it continues to bleed as she lets it fall into her lap. She doesn't have the energy to even attempt to stop the blood flow. She can see Bane hitting Zsasz, blood covering his knuckles as he hits again and again and again. "Bane…." He doesn't seem to hear her, he's too preoccupied with beating a man to death. "BANE!"

He freezes, slowly he turns to look his shoulder as he holds his fist back, ready to strike again at any moment. He sees Alice crumpled on the floor, trembling, covered in blood, her skin white from the loss of blood and the agonising pain she must be in. "Come here." She murmurs her voice rough and just about ready to give out.

He's surprised by this, but relinquishes his hold on Zsasz, who is unconscious anyway, and makes his way over to Alice. Crouching down in front of her he brushes the hair from her face so he could look at her properly. When she doesn't flinch at his touch, he allows his hand to rest against her neck. She's fighting through the pain, trying not to pass out, trying to stay focused on him. Every word she says next is a struggle to say. "I've learnt my lesson. I want to go home. With you."

Every word is a lie. She doesn't want to go home with him. She wants to be sat on her couch at home with her grandmother's arm wrapped around her as they watch horrid TV. She wants to go back to that right in the alley and leave him stranded there, walk on by like any sane person would. But she can't do that. The only thing she can do is tell Bane what she thinks he wants to hear so she can leave this place and not be near Zsasz any longer.

Bane says nothing. Alice hasn't broken eye contact the entire time even though she would like nothing more than to drop her head and go to sleep. His eyes seem to become clearer, and she feels the tips of his fingers rub against her neck for a brief moment before he picks the discarded blade from the floor. "Good."

* * *

_**A/N:** I know! I'm so sorry it's been a while but I had such a hard time writing this chapter but with help from my lovely beta megan I am finally happy with it. Just so you guys arn't sat around getting frustrated I'm going to try and update every 1-2 weeks, sooner if I can. But I get busy and sometimes when I do sit down to write I just can't seem to get down whatevers stuck in my head. I am not giving up on this story and hopefully you guys haven't either._


	11. Chapter 11

The nurse stood by the storage room, eyes focused on the young girl sat on the bed. They narrowed as they studied the darkened blood on the girl's top, her skin now pale from the loss of blood, and tousled dark hair that she had allowed to fall in front of her face. There had been talk that Bane was at the asylum, this was nothing new, he had been there a few times before but never addressing the staff and only chose to speak to a select few. So when he had showed up with the young girl in tow gossip had spread quicker than the plague. There were talks that she must be his Girlfriend? Other said hostage, who in their right mind would want to be his companion? There had also been a few whispers that perhaps she was one of his mercenaries, but looking at her that wouldn't have been the first conclusion the nurse would come to. Then again, she had gone up against Zsasz and come out relatively unscathed, so perhaps there was some truth to that rumour.

Finally she sighed and tucked the nightgown under her arm as she picked up the tray with the utensils on it. Walking cautiously over to the bed she placed the tray down and positioned the garment next to the girl before clearing her throat. "Do you require help changing?" The nurse asked briskly, hoping Bane's companion wouldn't.

Alice broke out of her trance at the sound of the nurse's voice, her eyes flickering over to the older woman before looking down at the pale cream garment. "No. I don't need to change, thank you."

"But your clothes have blood on them; it would be much more suitable,"

But she only shook her head at the nurse. "If I change then it'll just mean I will have to stay here longer, and I want to get out of here." she quietly replied, the pain in her face apparent with every word.

"Want to go back home with Bane?" It slipped from the nurse's mouth before she could stop herself. Then, for the first time, the nurse spotted the bandage covering the girls other wrist. _'Or, perhaps not._' She thought to herself, eyes unable to look back at the poor girls face.

Completely ignoring the nurse's comment Alice looked away, lowering her eyes to the cut in her hand. Without another word the nurse snapped on a pair of gloves before rolling up Alice's sleeve. "Tiny scratch." She told the girl before sneaking a glance at her face. She hadn't expected the girl to look like this, she seemed so fragile and broken in that moment, as if another wrong word would cause her to snap.

But Alice can't even manage to register the nurse's comments and actions, she doesn't really care. As she sits there, staring down at her bloodied hand, she can't stop her mind from picturing his face every time she closes her eyes. Those cold dark eyes that refused to break contact with hers still seem so clear in her mind. She sucks in a deep breath, reminding herself that it's over. He's not hovering over her anymore, he's not trying to kill her, his eyes aren't' staring into hers thirsty for her blood. She can't smell his foul stench or hear his laboured breathing. It's not happening anymore. So why can't she stop herself from feeling so terrified?

She's so distracted by those horrifying memories that the scratch in her arm catches her by surprise, and she only just looks as the needle pokes through her skin. The pain is nothing compared to red hot heat radiating from her hand, but she can still feel the cold sting of metal slide into her vein. "Almost done." The nurse says as she finishes fixing the IV to Alice's arm, checking to make sure the morphine is flowing properly. It takes a few moments, but she can feel the flow of relief that travels down the tube and into her veins, causing the searing pain to cool ever so slowly. "Once that's kicked in we'll fix up your hand. Just try to keep it still for now, ok?" Alice nods as the nurse gives her a small but concerned smile, a very different look from the cold glare less than five minutes ago. "I'm…Julie, by the way. I probably should have mentioned that before."

"Alice."

"Well, is there anything I can get you? Some water maybe?"

Alice licks her dry lips and thinks about how nice some water would be right now, but shakes her head. "What happened to Zs…Zsasz? Is he…dead? Bane was beating him and I was certain that he had to be dead because…he wasn't moving…I don't think he was breathing. I'm certain he wasn't breathing. " She vividly remembers watching Bane beat him, his fist coming into contact with Zsasz face again and again and again, the sound of bone cracking is clear in her mind. She was certain that Bane had been punching a corpse.

The nurse seemed shocked by this, like she couldn't quite understand why Alice would care about his wellbeing after what just occurred but she still answered the girl's question. "Oh, well, he's being treated here…actually. But, all the patients here are secured and…he's unconscious anyway. He can't breathe on his own so we'v…" The nurse realised she was babbling, revealing far too much information. Alice eyes widened in horror and the nurse placed a gentle hand on her arm. "But don't you worry about him. You just relax. I'll be back in a while to stitch up your hand once the morphine has kicked in. We don't want to cause you anymore pain, do we?" Alice almost snorted when she heard we. The nurse may not have wanted to cause her any more pain, but she couldn't vouch for other people.

With another small forced smile the nurse stepped out, closing the curtain shut behind her. Alice listens to the echo of footsteps as they speed walk across the linoleum floor and then hears the sound of the door swinging open and shut again. All the while, the nurse's words start to sink in. "He's still alive." She mutters to no one, rage clear in her voice. Even after a beating from Bane, who could break a man's hand with a simple touch, he's still alive. She can't believe it. Alice was certain that he was dead She feels hot anger spread throughout her core as she tries to come to terms with the fact that, that monster is still alive and in the same bloody room as her.

She drags herself from the bed, already feeling dizzy from the high dose of medication, clutching the IV stand to stop herself from tumbling to the floor. She had to see it for herself, had to see him beaten and bloody and with a tube shoved down his throat. Maybe seeing him battered and bruised whilst on the edge of death would destroy the monster her mind managed to come up with nightmare after nightmare.

She knows after today's events they will be more vivid than ever.

Alice adjusts the curtain slightly, glancing out into the cold sterile rows of beds and curtains. Soft music was pumped into the infirmary, a poor attempt to drown out the noises of the few inmates strapped to their beds, hidden away by the light blue curtains, small name tags on the outside of their areas to inform doctor who is where. She walks slowly past each one, glancing at the names and trying not to disturb the person behind. When she sees his she freezes on the spot. She can only stand there staring at the curtain, listening to the beeping sound coming from the other, blocking out the yells from the other patients and the incessant babbling that seems to come alone with it. Those ten seconds seem like hours before she finally reaches out and pulls the curtain to one side.

He's lying there, a series of tubes and wires running off of him, one down his throat helping him to breathe, forcing his chest to rise and fall in measured soft moments. When she feels a sudden sting of pleasure run through she tries to supress it. She never would have imagined she would enjoy seeing someone in such a state, but she can only think about her mother, all the women before her and after, how terrified they must have been in those moments before they died. The terror she felt when she thought she would meet the same fate is still fresh in her mind, and she can't help but feel a little pleasure at this animal's pain.

Alice moves closer, eyes darting to his bound hands and feet, then back to the monitor that let off the sound of his slow steady heartbeat. Bane had brought Zsasz close to death, but not close enough, thanks to her. She looks at his broken face, unrecognizable with the cuts, swelling, and bruising that Bane's fist had inflicted, but she knows it's still the same monster underneath.

She also realises that all she would have to do is turn off his breathing equipment and that would be it. It's so simple. A simple flick of a switch and people wouldn't have to fear for their lives anymore. He wouldn't keep escaping, which he had done many times before, and continue to kill innocent people. One less monster in the world, what would be so bad about that?

Her eyes hovered over the button as she waited for the small voice in her head to tell her what to do, even then her hand leaves the IV stand and her fingers start to stretch towards it.

"What are you planning, little one?"

Bane's voice surprises her, forcing her arm to lower and her hand to move back to the stand for support. "I was just…checking."

"Well, you have seen he is alive. Perhaps you should return to your bed."

"Did I kill him?" She asks quietly, not daring to move her eyes from the machine. "The man from the other night?"

The question is surprising to Bane, there have been many times since the incident last night where she could have asked, so why now? "Why are you suddenly, so interested?"

Alice didn't want to admit she hadn't been able to think about anything else since it had happened. But since driving through the gates of Arkham Asylum it had been the last thing on her mind. But seeing Zsasz lying there she was suddenly reminded of the man lying in the snow, his own blood pooling around him. Her fingers wrap tighter around the IV stand. When she doesn't feel the familiar twinge of pain in her wrist she realises the morphine must be doing its job, she hadn't even noticed that the pain in her hand wasn't unbearable anymore. "Did I, or didn't I?"

As he watches her, watches her eyes flickering back between the machine and Zsasz himself, he realises why she's asking. If she had killed the rapist then in her eyes she's a killer, plain and simple, and being able to switch off this creature's machine would be all that much easier, the second kill is always much easier than the first. But if she hasn't taken a life, if in her eyes she's still good, pure, not a monster like him, then she won't be able to, even though she desperately wants to.

Even though it's the one thing she needs.

"You told me to choose. Allow him to carry on with his pitiful existence, or finally avenge her. That's what you said." She turns to him finally, tears heavy in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. "But it wouldn't bring her back. It wouldn't give me back…my childhood and….and it wouldn't change the fact that my dad killed himself. It wouldn't take it back. It wouldn't change a single thing."

"And if he continues with his existence, he will only continue to ruin more lives."

"Looks like the two of you have something in common then."

Her remark angers him, causing a fist to clench as he raises his other hand to pinch her chin. "I'm sorry." She says instantly, staring at him with bright eyes. "I'm sorry, Bane." As another tear rolls down her cheek he uses his thumb to wipe it away from her soft skin. "You harbour pity for this man even after all he has done to you."

"Pity?" Her eyes grow wider, angrier. "You think I pity him right now? I thought he was dead, I thought you had killed him and that it was over but it's not! He won't die! He won't!" She was yelling, breathing hard with fury. The cries seemed to make the other patients more alert, rattling their beds and crying out. "I have had nightmares about this man since I was six years old. I have been so terrified…of him…,"

Bane's hands came up to either side of her face, forcing her to face him not matter how hard she tried to look away. "And the terror you fear has trapped you little one, it has made you weak."

"I just…I want it to be over…I want to stop feeling so scared, all the time."

His hands left her trembling face and he can feel her tears still resting on the palm of his hand. "Your liberation is a flick of a switch away."

Alice doesn't even hesitate. She turns, and presses the switch, watching as the pumps slow, and finally they halt to a stop. His heart rate slows; she watches the as the number dip slower and slower until the sound of the machine flat lining reaches her ears. She can't even seem to breathe as she watched the steady green line across the machine, and then she feels Bane behind her, pressing his front into her back as he reaches over, and turns the machine off. "Perhaps you should go back to your bed little one, I suspect the nurse will be back soon."

Alice looks back over her shoulder, back at Bane. He doesn't make any move to step away from her. His breathing is heavy in her ear and she can feel his hand hover at her side, before returning to his own, clenching into a fist. Now, Alice."

She looks puzzled for a second but does as she's told, walking quickly back to the bed and settling down just as the nurse arrives with a tray of sterilized utensils.

The slow drip of morphine working its way through her system has forced every pain in her body to disappear for a while. Well, the physical ones anyway. The pain in her hand is barely there anymore. In fact, she feels amazingly comfortable perched on that lumpy hospital mattress, as if the giant weight she's been carrying suddenly disappeared. With the flick of that switch it dissolved, knowing that he was dead, seeing his heart slowly die, that was the thing she needed more than anything.

She has just killed someone, but she doesn't feel the quilt, she doesn't feel sorry. She finally felt brave

Alice saw a clear look of pity on the nurse's face as she as she injected a clear liquid into her hand and numbness started to spread throughout her fingers and palm. Her eyes glance up when she hears the familiar sound, and sure enough Bane is stood at the end of the bed, hands on the lapels of his coat as he watches. She couldn't seem to bring herself to look at him, even though she could feel his eyes burn into her.

It seemed to be over so quickly. Soon enough there were a row of black stiches in her palm, covered with a snug white bandage. She watches the nurse remove the needle from her arm and place a small band aid over the tiny gash that was trickling blood.

"Are you done?" Bane suddenly said. "It is time for us to leave."

"I'm all finished with her." The nurse shot at him. She pulled out a small bottle from the pocket and held it out for Alice. "Painkillers, for your hand. Three times a day with food. No more."

"She will not require them."

The nurse looked over at Bane, furrowing her brow and standing a little straighter. Even so, when she spoke again, there was a slight tremble in her voice. "But, once the morphine has left her system she'll be in severe pain. She will need something, at least for the first few days, or until the stitches are removed."

"She, will not, require them." Bane repeated slowly, as if talking to a child who wouldn't follow a simple instruction. Was this an extended part of her punishment? To have to deal with the pain as a reminder of what happened today? Perhaps the scar that would eventually develop wasn't good enough for him. Perhaps seeing her kill someone wasn't satisfying enough. The nurse looked as if she was about to protest once more, but Alice placed a gentle hand on her arm to stop her. "Very well." She sighed once she saw the look on the girls face. "If _you_ insist."

Bane growled from beneath his mask as he grabbed Alice's arm and pulled her from the bed. He remained silent as he tugged her throughout the hall, not letting go until they reach outside and were standing in the entrance way. Looking out at the light snow that was falling in the darkness Alice closes her eyes and feels the cold air fill her lungs. Finally, she can breathe properly again. Just being out of that place made the whole thing seem less real. She hadn't realised Bane was holding her jacket in his other hand until he started to help her shrug it back on, sliding it with gentle ease up her arms and resting his hands on her shoulder for a moment once he was done.

This time, to her surprise, he opens the passenger's side door open for her. Alice glances at him, his own eyes looking back at the hospital, before climbing into the front seat. He waits until she's slipped in and her seatbelt is on before slamming the door shut. They ride in silence once again. Alice keeps her eyes focused on the world outside, but she can't help glancing over to Bane. In all honesty she was waiting for him to tell her how foolish she was for getting herself injured in the first place, for not killing Zsasz before he could do this to her. She was waiting for him to treat her like a child.

By the time they reach the apartment she can barely move, even unbuckling her seatbelt seems like a gruelling task. As she climbs out of the car she stumbles but luckily manages to keep herself steady by holding onto the car. "Can you walk little one?"

"Yes." She mutters back, the last thing she wants right now is any help from him.

Her body seemed to become heavier with each step. In the elevator she presses her back to the wall, the sudden jolt of the box causing her to feel sick. When she hears the ding and the door slide open she can't even force her legs to move, so when he scoops her up in his arms she doesn't fight it, she doesn't have the energy to. She even places her arm around the back of his neck so she doesn't fall. He smells of blood and she can feel his body tense against his. She can only wonder why he's doing this, why he did any of this. Perhaps seeing her slump against the elevator made him feel guilty, well, as guilty as someone like him could feel. But it didn't seem likely.

When they reach the apartment he heads straight for the bedroom, placing her gently on the bed. As he stands there looking down at her, Alice leans down to pull the boots from her feet. It seems to take forever just to untie the laces on one boot, seeing as her fingers are numb and don't seem to want to work. She hears a rough grunt come from him as he kneels down and starts to do the task for her. "That was very foolish. Grabbing the knife like you did. You're lucky you haven't permanently damaged your hand."

So it begins. "Well, it was the only way to stop it entering my throat."

He looks up at her as he slides a boot from her foot. "There are plenty of ways to disarm someone without harming yourself, but you obviously wouldn't know any of those ways. Perhaps if you hadn't of been so generous by giving him your weapon,"

"I didn't exactly give it to him. I stabbed him, I tried…"

"You left the weapon in his leg. If you had retrieved it after harming him perhaps you wouldn't be in this situation, perhaps you would have been able to kill him before he hurt you, but at least you managed to kill him, in the end."

She's too tired to get angry, but she suddenly remembers something that she can't keep quiet about. "You said you wouldn't let him hurt me."

She sees the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly, and a low chuckle escapes him as he removes the other boot. "I believe I said I would not allow him to kill you, and I didn't. But if you hadn't of fought for your life so boldly, perhaps I would have."

Alice isn't sure how to respond to that. This was all his fault, he took her there, made her face that monster, handed her that knife when knew that she wouldn't use it to kill Zsasz, even though deep down a voice was screaming at her to. This was all Bane's fault, but he had still come in and saved her when she was sure that at any moment she was going to die, now she felt like she was indebted to him because of that, because he had helped her escape from the emotional clutches of Zsasz, finally. She hated him for it.

He stood then, sliding the large coat from his shoulders and throwing it onto the chair. "You should sleep now little one, you need rest."

"And what will you do?"

"I will also sleep."

Alice let out a heavy sigh. Right then she just wanted to be left alone and not have to spend the night lying next to him, but she knew she wouldn't be allowed what she wanted. Morphine still flowing through her veins and her hand still annoying numb, she managed to unzip her jacket and shrug it off, but it ended up on the floor rather than neatly on the chair. She attempted to undress, but it was all rather difficult, so when Bane's hand suddenly grabbed her top and lifted it over her head for her who was she to argue? "Thank you." She mumbled as he pulled her nightshirt over her head and helped her to slide her arms through the sleeves. But the next bit is much more torturous. His hands slide down to her jeans, fingers quickly undoing the button. His eyes never left hers, no matter how much she tries to avert his gaze. "I think I can finish from here, thank you." She manages to say as her heart pounds against her chest. Bane only ignores her, tugging the jeans down her legs which caused her to let out a small yelp.

"For the next few days you will be unable to use your hands. You do realise this? You need to be careful with both if are they are to heal properly." Alice steps out of her trousers and watches as bane fold them neatly and places them on the chair. "I'll be careful." She insists, but as Bane picks up her pyjama bottom he raises an eyebrow, obviously not convinced.

"But to be careful, you will need help."

"Changing. Showering. I get it. But I don't want to become dependent on you….so I think I'll manage."

"As you are now?"

He kneels again, holding the trousers so she can step into them, the finally sliding them up her legs and settling them on her waist. She was just glad it was over. She mumbled another small thank you before rolling onto the bed and under the covers. As soon as she was comfortable her mind starting to drift off and everything became hazy until finally, she was in a deep sleep, away from the nightmarish events of the day

Bane watched her, fully aware that she would not be awake until late afternoon, perhaps later if her body allowed so. He thinks of how easily she had switched off that machine, the deep intake of breath after, as if finally after all these years she could finally breath again. He had seen her hand tremble as it stayed close to the red button, ready to switch it back on at any moment, so when she dropped her hand and allowed her eyes to fix on the dying heartbeat; he could only smile from beneath his mask. He had done it, broken her. Liberated her from the monster that was keeping her from her full potential, subdued and weak while she allowed the world to slowly crush her. Perhaps now she would finally realise that the inhabitants of this city deserved their fate, each one of them deserved to burn just as Gotham would.

He can't seem to take her eyes from her as she turns in her sleep, oblivious to the world around her. Unlike Alice he was never allowed the luxury of a deep sleep, always semi aware of where he was and his surroundings, always just in between sleep and awake. The first time he did sleep through the entire night he had only just turned twenty five. After all those years the experience was still foreign to him.

As soon as he hears the heavy sound of her breathing, he enters the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He washed Zsasz's blood from his glove, his hand, making sure not a speck of that foul creature's blood was anywhere to be found. Once the last drop of red swirled down the drain he dried his hands slowly, next was the more torturous part of his routine. Before taking in one last deep breath he raised his hands to the mask, unclicking the back slowly, before gently pulling the mask from his face. Now it was time to hurry, eat, drink, brush teeth, all before the searing pain creeps back into his bones. He can already feel a slither of pain down his spine but he knows he has time, even if it is limited, but his reflection in the mirror seems to prove a bit of a distraction.

It's been a while since he's examined himself properly. For someone who wears a mask most of the time mirrors aren't exactly necessary. He stares at his reflection, fingers tracing over the short sharp stubble on his face and scars that are scattered across his mouth and chin, deep and clear across his skin where they had taken too long to heal, and had left a deeper mark than expected. He had thought his face to be handsome in his youth, but now, perhaps he was just another monster. His reflection seemed to look much younger than he felt, but the obvious signs of an aging man where clear and visible. The crinkling at the corner of his eyes, the specks of grey in the stubble, both obvious signs of an aging man.

An aging man who would never grow old, thanks to Talia, and to Gotham.

He kept the bedroom door open as he sat in the living room, eating the leftover food Alice had made. He was surprised when he opened a cupboard to find a large collection of canned food, bottled water, torches, and batteries. That had to be her doing, and he could only wonder what she was preparing for. As he slowly chewed his meal and sipped at the cold water he glanced at the file resting on the table. Her file. He had spent last night reading Zsasz over and over, not skipping a line of text or missing a single report, but her file had remained on the table unread and had spent the day stashed away in his make-shift office. The first thought that had crossed his mind was suicide attempt, she had been fifteen at the time he knew that much. Perhaps she spent a week discussing her problems and was released shortly after. A girl such as herself and after all she had been through, taking her own life seemed like a likely option. But if that was the reason for her incarceration, he would be sourly disappointed.

When he starts to feel the familiar stings crawl up his back he finishes quickly before disposing of the container in the sink, then hurrying back to the bathroom to clean his teeth before he can secure his mask back on. Passing her he notices her whine and roll over in her sleep but ignores her, if the little one was having nightmares it would be of no great surprise. Even so, as he brushes by, he notices the cries increase and hears her thump against the bed as she rolls about and cries out. "N…no…no…please…"

Dropping his toothbrush he turns back to look into the room, he can see her, legs kicking, hands clutching the bed sheets as she arches her back and sucks in a breath, it seemed to catch in her throat because for a brief moment she seems to stop breathing.

Bane does nothing to help her. He stands in the doorway; watching her as she struggles and cries out, the light from the bathroom illuminating her so he can see tears roll from her eyes as she fights against her fears. He starts to turn to collect his mask when he suddenly hears it; she says his name. Is he the monster present in her nightmare even after all this? It would be surprising, but not entirely unexpected.

"He-help me...Bane…please….help."

Even he couldn't deny his sudden shock at this. Even though he is intrigued he chooses to overlook it and turns to grab his mask and fix it back on his face, instant relief flooding through his system as soon as he takes a deep breath.

Turning back, just as he's about to switch on the light, he finds the bed empty and the covers tossed upon the floor. It takes him a moment then he walks out into the living room, the only light coming from the open fridge as Alice sits on the kitchen floor nursing a rather large tub of ice cream. She's still pale, her eyes swollen, he can still see sweat on her from her vigorous nightmare causing her t-shirt to stick to her skin. She holds the spoon loosely in her hand, she can't even seem to clutch it properly as attempts to dig it into the ice cream, instead she only seems to be able to lift small specks of the frozen desert on to her spoon as she struggles to stay awake. She didn't want to tell him that she saw him fixing his mask back on while she snuck past in case it enraged him, even though she never saw his face. Alice winces as she lifts the spoon to her mouth and chews slowly on the small portion of ice cream. "I was saving it." She remarks as her eyes flick over to him. "I found it in there the first week and I thought…well…I doubt you would have brought me anymore so I just left it. Now seems as good a time as any to consume the whole thing. Plus, I lost a lot of blood and I haven't eaten all day. That can't be good."

"I don't believe eating ice cream will make you feel better."

She shrugged as she attempted to dig the spoon into the hard ice cream, but the loose grip on the spoon didn't help at all. "Worth a shot. Besides it's better than sleeping."

"Bad dream?"

At first she thought he was mocking her, she never could really tell, but his eyes met hers and she realised for a moment he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say, the way he looked at as he waited for an answer, crouching beside her, the whole thing was so utterly confusing.

"Something like that." She tried to stop thinking about her dream, of Zsasz on her, crying out for Bane. But this time he hadn't arrived in time, and as the knife had pierced her throat she had woken from her dream. '_Zsasz is dead. I killed him. I flicked the switch and killed him.' _She repeated over and over in her she realised her and Bane's eyes had been locked for too long she quickly lowered them to the dessert.

It was surprising. After everything she had been through it the past forty eight hours, she was far more subdued than he would have thought. Other people may have been broken by now, unable to cope, but even though her dreams had seemed to be tainted by the encounter she didn't seem to be. What had happened mere hours ago at the hospital didn't even seem to be affecting her in the way Bane had expected. Perhaps she was just able to hide her emotions a little too well.

"This doesn't mean I like you by the way, being here with you I still really hate you and watching you get hit by a large truck wouldn't be the most unpleasant experience in the world."

"I am fully aware of that."

"Good. As long as you know. But if…being docile and…listening to you and doing as you tell me doesn't get me hit and allows me to stay as far away from Arkham as possible then fine." She felt like throwing up as every word came out of her mouth. She couldn't believe this was coming out of her mouth, that she was willing saying all this to him. But she knew that she had to, that the only way to survive this was to sit down and shut up, as hard as it would be. "I'll be a good little prisoner and I won't try anything. I won't leave, I won't talk back. I'll just sit down and shut up."

Bane didn't reply to this, he only continued to watch her as she dug the spoon back into the melting substance, taking a small bite and then licking her lips softly after. Banes eyes linger on her soft wet lips, but he diverts them once he realises he's been looking for too long.

He had been waiting for this. This was what he had wanted since her arrival. Since that night she came across him. For her to finally submit to him to accept she was now his and this was where she should be in order to stay safe. But he knew that she wouldn't be docile. She wouldn't listen, or not attempt to leave. Talking back seemed to be her favourite thing, so no doubt that would still be a regular occurrence. Good. He enjoyed her that way. If she becomes a snivelling little creature dependent on him, unable to do anything without him then breaking her, liberating her, it would all have been a waste. He hoped she would emerge from this stronger.

Perhaps after all that's happened, the beatings, Arkham, perhaps now that her demon was finally dead, he would be able to see the real Alice.

* * *

**A/N: _I had to re-write this chapter a few times but I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. My Beta always gives great suggestions that really help me out, a lot. And once again I apologize for taking so long, so I hope the wait was worth it. I'd love to know what you guys think about about their relationship and where you think it's headed. _**


	12. Chapter 12

With each day that past Alice could feel herself slowly slipping, losing touch with herself as every minute slowly ticked by. She felt trapped, condemned not only to this apartment but to this shell of her former self. Just looking in the mirror she didn't recognize the person that stared back. That girl was too gaunt, too tired, her hair was far too long and dull, even her eyes didn't seem the same shade of green anymore. And she couldn't stop seeing someone else's blood all over her hands. She was certain that eventually, she was going to snap.

It didn't help that Bane hadn't said a word to her as the days passed by. She was actually starting to miss the sound of another person's voice, even if it was filtered and altered so it didn't even sound human. But he would watch her, as always. He had sat on the couch the morning after it all happened, watching her as she struggled to open a jam jar, failing to grip her fingers tightly around the lid and use her other hand to hold the base of the glass. The entire thing had surprised her; there had been moments before where he had helped her without her needing to ask. When they had arrived back from the asylum he had carried her into the apartment, he had helped her dressed, and he had just done it even after she told him not to. But now he was taking a backseat, waiting for her to ask for it, and so far she hadn't.

But at least she could enjoy the silence

The thought had occurred to her the one day as she lay awake in bed after yet another nightmare, replaying the Zsasz incident for the thousandth time through her mind. She needed to get stronger, faster, she had to learn to protect herself whether she liked it or not. The cut on her hand was a clear indication of that. And with Gotham in the state it was now, with all that had happened, she knew things would just end up getting worse. She looked over at Bane as he slept, knowing that If there was one person who could teach her how to protect herself, it was him. She hated that. Alice loathed the fact that the only person who could help her was the same person who was destroying her piece by piece. She knew that if Bane were to teach her then at least then she would have a chance, not against him maybe, but at least she wouldn't have to fear ever other person she met. That still didn't mean she would ever ask him, or want to.

Alice was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard the slam of the front door, the usual announcement of Bane's arrival. She finished quickly and tied her hair back before walking out into the apartment, eyes noticing the bag of groceries on the kitchen counter before moving them over to Bane, whom was standing next to it waiting for her. "Your things, little one."

That had been the first thing he had said to her in five days. She walked over, wishing she had thrown something warmer on when the chill of the apartment hit her bare arms. She started to unpack as Bane walked away, shrugging his coat off and placing it over the couch. He watched her as she separated the items up, placing the can goods in the cupboard underneath with the rest of the ones she had been storing away.

"Why do you keep all those things there?

She paused for a second, looking to him before continuing to unpack the rest of the items... "Emergencies, I suppose." It felt strange to talk after so much silence. The action made her tongue tingle.

"What sort of emergency, could you experience here?"

Bane studied Alice as her eyebrows furrowed together and she pursed her lips, obviously attempting to think of a good response. In all honesty, he had been surprised that she had managed to remain silent for so long. He had been certain that the morning after Arkham, there would have been dozens of mundane questions, that she would have wanted to discuss it all in great detail, perhaps convince herself that she was now the monster.

But he had to admit he had been slightly impressed with how she dealt with it all, especially with how she dealt with the pain, not complaining when she so obviously wanted to. And for someone who had committed her first act of manslaughter, she was doing surprisingly well. But at the night it was a different story. The nightmares still came on thick and strong as she slept, and he found himself retreating to the living room the first two nights, unable to fall sleep next to her tossing and turning.

Then one night it had stopped. Bane found his eyes slowly opening when he felt skin on skin, and he realised that even though her body wasn't pressed against his, her cheek was resting on his bicep and for the first time since the incident, she was sleeping peacefully. Bane had considered about moving away from her, but if this was the way for both of them to get a quiet night's sleep then he would allow for her to sleep this way. Besides, the next morning he had awoke to find her back on the edge of the bed, far away from him as possible. As he removed himself from the bed and dressed, he felt shame as he realised he had been disappointed when he woke, and didn't feel her skin on his.

"Power outage." Alice finally answered snapping bane from his thought. Alice shrugged softly as she answered, even though she thought that was the obvious emergency. "There have already been blackouts. When the power does eventually go off, we'll need light, hence the torches. Food. Water. I even found a camp stove when I was looking around the apartment, that was pretty lucky. Me and my grandmother always kept a supply of things…you never know." The sudden thought of her grandmother caused a sharp pain in Alice's gut. She wanted more than anything to see her, know if she was ok, but she knew that asking Bane wouldn't bring her any answers.

He didn't say another word to her again after, and even though she felt the need to talk; she didn't utter a word either. Two days later Alice was lying on the floor of the laundry room, the noise of the tumbling clothes in the washer the only thing she could hear, but easily managing to block from her ears as she closed her eyes and allowed her whole body to relax. This seemed to be the only room in the flat where she could escape Bane, and over the past week she had spent much more time than necessary in this cramped space. It was either here or the bathroom, and this room wasn't freezing cold. .

Bane just always seemed to be there, watching her, an obnoxious presence piercing her bubble of solidarity and managing to annoy her without even saying a word. She couldn't even seem to ignore the annoying sound of his breathing anymore.

At the sound of the buzzer she pushed herself up and started to throw the wet clothes in the dryer, ignoring the shooting pain in her hand. It had been a week of uneven sleep, pain, difficulty showering; even changing had been more like an extreme sport for the past seven days.

She slammed the lid down and switched the dryer on before leaning against it, slowly removing the bandage from her hand to look at the wound hidden away underneath. She could see it healing, skin and flesh slowly starting to stitch back together, but that didn't stop it from hurting like hell. She was trying so hard to careful with it. Cleaning it every day, wrapping it with the bandages she had found on the nightstand the next day, which Bane had obviously left there. At least the pain in her wrist was nothing but a dull throb now, only flaring up when she used it too much. The bruises had turned to a dull yellow now and she expected that another week and they would be gone for good. She could only wonder how long it would be until she had some new injuries to deal with.

She wrapped up her hand again before settling down on the floor once more, staring up at the ceiling.

Alice emerged an hour later with her small pile of neatly folded clothes. She could hear him before she spotted him, grunting softly as he pushed himself up from the floor again and again. She watched him for a moment as his hard muscles flexed; the scar that ran along his back seemed to stand out against his skin in the harsh light of the room. She had been doing laundry for almost three hours so she had no idea how long he had been going at it, he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Then again this was Bane, push ups hardly seemed like a strenuous activity for someone like him. When he placed an arm behind his back Alice cocked an eyebrow. Just watching him was starting to make her feel tired.

He stopped for a moment, head turning to look at her before carrying on with what he was doing.

She entered the bedroom, placing her small pile of clothes on top of the chest of draws, grabbing some clean night clothes and a towel before escaping to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her she wished for the hundredth time that it had a lock. As she set the plug in the bath and turned the taps on her eyes kept flickering towards the door, praying that Bane would keep doing his stupid press ups in the living room and not decide to bother her anytime soon.

Once steam started to fill the bathroom and fogging the mirror, she strips off her clothes, discarding them into a pile on the floor before finally climbing into the bath. The hot water feels great as she sinks into the water, forcing the pains that still linger in her body to disappear. She knew that she couldn't enjoy this for too long. Alice didn't take baths, quick hot showers were the norm, but for a short while she just wanted to lay in a hot bath, close her eyes and relax.

But she can't. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about Bane, tried to imagine him without all the muscles, someone who wasn't a murderous tyrant, who couldn't kill someone with a small flex of a wrist, and who didn't desire to bring a whole city to its knees.

Bane as a normal person with actual feelings seemed like the strangest concept on earth.

She dips her head into the water, trying to forget about Bane for once, struggling to not recall the past few hellish weeks. She finally finds herself calming down as she lifts her head from the water and sucks in a deep breath. Closing her eyes she relishes in the silence that had filled up the bathroom.

She was suddenly reminded of swimming with her sister. How they would hold their breath under the water, trying to out-best the other. Alice had even taken to practicing at home in the bathtub just so she could beat her sister, just once.

Opening her eyes she realised that had been the most normal thought she had in weeks.

Taking in a deep breath she submerged herself, counting the seconds in her head as she lay perfectly still in the steaming hot water.

_Two…Three…_

She remembered the first and only time she had beat her sister. She couldn't believe when she saw her sister move up first but she still carried on, remaining under the water until her eyes stung and lungs hurt.

_Six….Seven…._

She had felt so victorious in that moment, splashing her sister and smiling wildly as she declared herself the winner.

_Ten…Eleven…_

She had only been nine. She recalled being so happy as she looked over to her dad who was watching from the side-lines. Who could have guessed two weeks later he would have thrown himself off Gotham Bridge and into the icy water

_Fourteen…Fifteen…_

_Bane had stopped shortly after Alice had disappeared into the bathroom. Leaning back on his haunches he tightened the strap around his wrist, listening to the sound of running water before it abruptly stop. He could hear the water splash gently as he entered the bedroom closing the curtains before setting himself down on her side of the bed, breathing heavily as his muscles started to relax from their workout._

_Then there's nothing but silence._

He stands slowly, taking three long strides towards the door as he listens for Alice on the other side. He resists the urge he feels to just barge in, choosing to knock gently instead. "Little one." He waits a moment, but when there's no reply he turns the handle on the door and the sight before him causes his fists to clench, anger and something that he doesn't recognize boil within him as he sees her submerged in the water, body limp, eyes closed…"ALICE!"

Alice was so completely unaware of what was happening above the surface of the water, so lost in her own thoughts, that she didn't hear the bathroom door opening. She didn't hear Bane call her name. She was completely unaware of his presence until she felt his hands dip into the water and grab her, pulling her up which such force that she couldn't force in a breath. As soon as she's pulled from the water and her eyes snap open, the unknown feeling leaves his veins, and all that's left is anger. He presses the mouth of his mask pressed against her cheek as she shivered, and the cold, sharp feeling against her cheek forces her to freeze. "What, were you trying, to achieve?"

"I…I wasn't…"

"Do you think you can escape me by trying to take your own life?"

"I wasn't –"

"Then what exactly, where you doing?"

The fright suddenly leaves her body and embarrassment quickly settles in its place. God, she's naked. She's completely stark naked in the bath with Bane centimetres from her, with his hands on her, and she's certain that he had seen everything. She's so mortified she wished that she had drowned. But she soon notices that even though his eyes are fixed on her they haven't left her face, in fact she doesn't recall him even glancing down to her body. She starts to pull her knees up, slides an arm up her body in order to cover herself but Bane suddenly shakes her, grip tightened so hard she lets out a small yelp. "ANSWER ME."

"I don't know…what I was doing…I – I don't know!"

His fingers were pressing so hard against her that she could practically feel the bruises developing. But he let go of her, almost shoving her away before turning and leaning against the bathtub. His eyes seemed to be focused on a spot on the wall as he breathed heavily; obviously still angry from the way his body was tensed.

"I wouldn't try to kill myself." She suddenly found herself saying despite wishing she could just stay quiet. As the silence grew thicker she found her mouth opening again. "But then again, I don't particularly wish to follow in either of my parents footsteps." Alice brushed the wet strands of hair from her face, trying with all her might not to look over at Bane.

Bane had been so sure. When he saw her lying in the bath he was certain this was her attempt to escape him once and for all. He thought that perhaps sooner or later she might try, maybe not because of him, but he had been so certain that she would attempt to, perhaps try to follow in her father's footsteps…."Tell me about your father's death." Alice had been in his company for weeks, and she had yet to mention her father to Bane. He had always been curious about it. It was clear that her mother's death had taken a large toll on her, but her fathers would have too.

Surprisingly, she wasn't even stunned by his question. Alice sat up, pulling her knees up and pressing them close to her body. "I don't want to."

"It was not a question, little one."

She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes with the back of her hand as she tried to think. She knew refusing again would just probably anger him, more so than he already was. "You just come…barging in here…scaring me half to death and then you demand me to tell you personal things that I don't want to."

"And I'm still waiting."

"Can't we do this once I'm out of the bath?"

"I wish for you to tell me _now._" He snapped the last word causing her to flinch, even moving in the bath so she wasn't so close to him. Fine. If he wanted to know so bloody badly, then he could.

"He threw himself off Gotham Bridge."

"Why?"

Alice bit her bottom lip hard as she held back the words she wanted to say to him, several of them which she knew would get her into trouble. Instead she just decided to get it over with. "Wh…when my mother died, my father…he…well he blamed himself. He was a police officer and he was working the night she was killed, so he just blamed himself for not being there. Also because, they had been trying to catch Zsasz for weeks, and they only finally caught up to him a week after what happened to my mother. My dad wasn't the same. He tried but, every smile just seemed forced and," She realised she was rambling but Bane didn't say anything.

His back was still to her, he was still facing the wall opposite, not saying a word as she told her tale. "Then when I was nine he managed to break out, Zsasz that is. Killed a whole bunch of woman, one of them was pregnant with twins. I remember the papers calling him The Butcher. I guess my father was just…reliving what happened to my mother all over again. One night Jim Gordon comes to our door and tells my Nan that they found my dad's body in the river. People had seen him jump but it was so cold out they reckon he died in a minute, maybe less. He was probably unconscious from the impact injuries. We weren't in the room when Gordon told my Nan, but at my nans house the walls aren't very thick. You can hear everything. Then my Nan came in and just saw the look on our faces, held us while we cried." Alice rubbed her eyes again, feeling the warm tears against her palm. "My sister was so angry. She kept calling him a coward."

"You did not agree?"

"Suicide is not a coward's way out, but I don't think it's particularly courageous either. For me, I suppose…have you ever tortured someone that they've begged for death?"

Bane was doing it right now. To this city. But it had been begging for death for years. He didn't mention that when he answered her. "Many times."

"Well, it's like that. All the person wants is for the pain to stop so they can finally rest. I think my dad just wanted the pain to stop. I can relate to that. I'll admit though, what he did, it was selfish."

"Selfish?"

"He wrote us a letter each. Kept going on about how it was so hard without my mother. She was the love of his life, he couldn't live without her. How he would always love us. How can you love something when you're dead?"

God she felt ridiculous. Sitting in the rapidly cooling water, trying to cover herself in case Bane decided to suddenly turn, although she was convinced he had already seen everything and that didn't make her feel any better. But sitting there just talking about her dad, her life, even if it wasn't the things she wanted to remember that well, was starting to make her feel like herself again, in a very odd way.

She just wished it wasn't Bane she was pouring everything out to.

Once she had stopped talking they had sat in silence. Alice's eyes seemed to focus on the scar running down Bane's back. She could only assume that it was the source of all his pain, and she didn't think asking him would gain her a straight honest answer. Maybe just some obscure responses about minding her own business.

"I don't suppose you can go away so I can finish my bath?"

"I am not stopping you."

That wasn't the response she wanted. She wanted him to leave, storm out if he must. Having him sat there while she finished bathing was the last thing she wanted, but she knew sooner rather than later the water would turn freezing cold, and the idea of sitting in a cold bath wasn't exactly a pleasant one.

So she worked quickly, scrubbing her body clean, eyes occasionally diverting to Bane to make sure he wasn't looking, ignoring his presence completely didn't seem to be an option. But once she was done she just sat there, wanting to get out but not sure how she would with Bane still seated on the floor. "I need to get out."

"I have already told you, little one, I am not stopping you."

She wanted to growl in frustration. She was sick of feeling intimidated by him, of constantly avoiding him, of being scared to do anything in case it would anger him or end up getting her hurt. She wasn't this fragile little thing he made her out to be, she had never been like that, it was him who was slowly turning her like that. So even if the idea make her terrified she was going to have this one small moment, she was going to show him that he didn't intimidate her just this once, even if it was all an act.

She pulled the plug, waited for the water to drain before standing from the bath and stepping out. Her eyes and focus were only on the towel which she quickly grabbed and wrapped around herself. She could feel his eyes on her, burning into her, but still she looked ahead, grabbing the clothes she had brought in with her and disappearing to the bedroom.

She ignored the pain she felt, not allowing it to overwhelm her as she dried and dressed quickly, covering herself before Bane walks back out and straight past her. When he slams the bedroom door shut she lets out the breath she's been holding and all the nerves start to trickle back. She has a feeling she's going to pay for everything that happened later on, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

As she sits on the edge of the bed, slowly towel drying her hair, she thinks about when he pulled her out of the water, the look in his eyes haunting her. She had seen it before but she couldn't place it. She couldn't understand what else he could have felt apart from anger. Alice hisses when she feels the sting in her hand and glances down at the wound, angry and red from too much use. As she stares at it she realised where she had seen that look before. Arkham. Just before Bane had pulled Zsasz off of her.

The thought that perhaps he had been…scared, well, afraid that she would have died crosses her mind, but it's so laughable that she can't help but quickly push it from her mind.

Once she's satisfied her hair is no longer dripping wet she replaced the bandage on her hand with a fresh one, and then finally made her way towards the living room. Upon opening the door she found Bane now on his back, doing fluid push ups and yet again making it look like the easiest thing on earth. Alice choose to lean against the doorframe instead of entering the room properly, watching him for a few moments before finally finding the urge to speak. "Bane?"

It seemed to take him by surprise. He stopped for a second, but quickly carried on after only a moment.

"Bane, may I ask you something?"

He seemed to growl for a brief moment before getting up off the floor, flexing his back as he turned to her. "What is it, little one? You're interrupting me."

I_ts nice how there's one rule for you and another for me_. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. You didn't need to get up."

He breathed deeply as he straightened up, his hands fixing and tightening the brace around his stomach as he watched her with impatient eyes. "You wished to ask me something?"

Alice nodded and licked her lips as her eyes wandered down his body. When she realised what she was doing she quickly looked back up at his face. "I was wondering if, maybe when my hand is better, if you could teach me….to protect myself."

His eyebrow rose slowly as he watched her. She was nervously fidgeting with the bandage on her hand as she patiently waited for an answer. When she didn't receive one, she carried on talking. "I…want….need, to learn how to…because, well after what happened with Zs," She haltered for a moment, breathing in deeply as she lowered her eyes. "Zsasz. Well it could have been avoided, like you said. I…I need your help."

"No."

His straight up answer surprised her. Wasn't he even going to consider it? "Why?"

"You do not need it. And as long as you remain in this apartment, you will not require it."

"That's bullshit." She shot back, regretting it instantly but there was no way she could take it back. "What I mean is, that man who was here, if you hadn't of shown up….well I know something bad would have happened! And yes I would have tried to stop him, but I probably wouldn't have been very successful. You're right, ok. I am weak," She stated looking up at him, determined for him to say yes. "Physically." She quickly added when she saw the look in his eyes. "And I need to learn because I can't rely on you, I don't want to rely on you. And I'm pretty sure you don't want me running behind you every time I get scared, neither of us want that.

The silence thickened between them as she waited for his answer. It seemed to take him forever to finally raise his eyes to her and speak. "You will not like the training little one. You will be in pain."

"Ok."

"It will be hard on you. I don't believe you will be able to withstand it."

"I will! I'll…I'll try. And if I can't then, fine. Then you're right as usual and we will stop. But at least let me try."

"Are you certain you do not wish to learn, just so you can attempt to overpower me?"

Alice can hear almost the amusement behind his question; the crinkles in the corners of his eyes were the clear sign of a smile hidden beneath his mask. He was teasing her, of course, and the action actually caused her to let out a small laugh at the absurdity of his comment. "I could train with the freaking x-men for twenty years and I would never be able to overpower you. The only person I can think of who could," All of a sudden she thought of Batman. Where the hell had he been for all of this and why he wasn't here right now, putting a stop to Bane. She realised talking about who might be able to beat Bane probably wasn't the best idea. "Uh, never mind."

"Bruce Wayne." Bane said.

She had no idea what Bane was going on about. "Bruce Wayne? What about him?"

Bane sighed; she could actually hear the annoyance in his tone. "So you, like most of Gotham, are oblivious to what is right in front of you."

Alice did have to think about it for a moment, to realise what he was saying. "Bruce Wayne…is Batman?" Her mind was suddenly working a mile a minute as it put all the pieces together.

"Bruce Wayne." Bane scoffed. "He hides behind a mask, a name, afraid to show his true face. Batman is nothing but a mask, and one which no longer serves any purpose. "

"But you," She stopped herself from saying what she wanted to. She knew it would anger him, and even though she could tell he was annoyed, an angry Bane was much, much worst.

"If you wish to say something little one, then say it."

She instantly replied. "I don't want to make you angry." _Because I'm afraid you'll hurt me. _She had to fight hard not to blurt out the last part.

"Then don't say something that will anger me."

She thought about it, choosing her words carefully as Bane turned from her, picking up his shirt from the couch. "Well, I suppose it's different with you. Isn't it? You _need_ the mask, to help you with your pain." Alice pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders lightly. "I don't know. It's just, you hide from me. I've been here…almost a month, and I have no idea what you look like. You wait until I'm asleep to take off your mask…and sometimes I'm not, but you think I am. I want to look, just to see what you look like but, I know you'll be angry so I just don't bother." Alice lowered her eyes, unable to look at the angry glare in his own for a second lower. "Maybe I'm still trying to figure out if you're more than just a monster."

"What?" He practically barked, causing Alice to step back at the sudden flare up of anger. "I do not hide from anyone, little one, especially you."

"But, you do,"

"You wish to see my face, little one?" He asked in a low, rough voice that sent a jolt of fear down her spine. He grabbed her, pulling her close, making sure the hand that held the back of neck was tight, that his face was as close to hers as it could get without it touching her as it had done once before. "You want to see what lies beneath, do you? Do you think," Alice managed to pull her face away but he grabbed her violently, pulling her close again, both hands on her rough and tight. "You believe that seeing my face will make you less terrified of me? Make me….more human? Less of a monster in your eyes. Or perhaps you think under this mask lies a different man than the one you're accustomed to?"

Alice had been avoiding his eyes the whole time, her hands pressed firmly against his bare chest as she tried to push herself away from him. "Please let me go." She pleaded, but Bane only ignored her, as usual.

"If you do not want to be near me anymore, then break away, call this….lesson one."

She was trying, she was pushing against him, struggling, but the harder she fought the tighter he held.

"You need to find my weakness little one. You have so many, all noticeable with a simple glance."

_**I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU. **_The words seem to be on an endless loop in her mind as he held her. When she had asked for help this wasn't what she had in mind, not at all. But she should have known Bane would pull something like this, try to make her feel weak and helpless, but it wasn't as if she could fight him. She started to dig her nails into his chest and it didn't even faze him. How was she meant to hurt someone who couldn't feel pain? Who didn't have any weaknesses?

As she stared at him, eyes scanning his face, she finally realised what it was.

Her body slowly un-tensed, shoulders dropping and breathing calming as she locked her eyes with his. When she saw it, the confusion in his eyes, her hand started to slowly move up his chest, then against his neck. Bane seemed to freeze at the action, the feel of her soft hand against his neck had been unexpected, and even though he found himself enjoying it more than he should have allowed himself to, he couldn't help but wonder what on earth his little Alice was up to.

Then her fingers reached their destination. They wrapped around the tiny tubes of his mask, tugging slightly as his eyes narrows at her. "Found it." She whispered, unable to raise her voice higher even though she wanted to. "You do realise you make me deal with the pain, even though you can't stand yours."

"It is very…different."

"I know it is. But you know better than anyone what pain is like, how distracting and….horrible it can be. But for the past week you've allowed me to suffer even after _everything _you have already put me through." She realised that his grip on her had faltered but she didn't move back, she actually moved her body against his, catching him off guard once again. "Without that mask you're just the same as everyone else, in fact, you're weaker, aren't you?" She could see the anger flare up in his eyes. She could tell he wanted to hurt her then, she could feel his hands shake slightly as he stopped them from crushing her bones. "Maybe that's why you don't want to take it off in front of me." When she started to feel his hands move she quickly unlocked her fingers from his mask, and slips it back down to his chest. "I've changed my mind. I don't want your help. I don't want anything from you."

Alice hands dropped to her sides, she was obviously done with conversation, bane still held on. Towering over her, breathing heavily as the anger that had being flaring inside him moments ago slowly left his body. His fingers moved against her skin, reminding him of the one and only night she had slept close to him. He dropped his hands then and stepped back, allowing breathing space between the two of them. "Go to bed, Alice. You need your rest."

She didn't need to be told twice. As soon as the bedroom door closed Bane walked towards the backroom, unlocking the window and sliding it open, allowing cold air to fill the room and dance upon his skin. He took a seat at the desk and pulled the file from the bottom draw of the desk and setting it on the table.

Perhaps it was time that he read Alice Kendrew's file.

* * *

_**A/N:** I currently have the worst cold of my life so I'm amazed I was able to make the changes my beta suggested and add more little bits considering how fried my brain currently is. But I'm rather pleased with how this chapter came out. If there are mistakes I apologize, but as I've said, I'M CURRENTLY DYING._

_I've started a new job, and with christmas, I know I probably won't be able to get it up until after the holidays, but when I can find time to write, I will. Don't forget to review, I can't believe I went over 200, you have no idea how much that excites me! So thank you for reviewing, adding it to your favourites, or following. And if I don't update before christmas I hope you all have a great one!_


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: I know we are well into January now but I hope you all had a good christmas and new year! I actually really love this chapter so I hope you all do to. Thank you for the reviews as always, they make me so happy. And to the people who pointed out my whole tense issure, I know it's a problem. When I'm writing I don't really think about it as much as I should and when I do my read through I never do it properly because I tend to rush everything. This time I did spend time on it, so I hope it's much better but I have a feeling it's not 100%. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter._**

**_Also to the reviewer roww: I'm British. In britian, learnt is a word. _**

* * *

Alice had never felt empowered. There had never been a moment in her life where she felt fully in control, over herself, her life, or anything for that matter, but that had changed almost instantaneously when her fingers had fixed themselves around the small pipes attached to Bane's mask, when she had seen the look of confusion and anger deep in his eyes. It was overwhelming. The fact she had managed to overcome him with words and movements had been more than surprising, and exhilarating. Alice had struck a nerve, she knew that. But he had sliced at so many of hers that she had recognized it was about time she finally bit back.

She had expected him to explode, to hit her and damage her beyond reason after what she had said and done. So when he told her to go to bed, calmly, like he was scolding a child who had been caught out of bed past their bedtime, it had shocked and infuriated her. She had run to the bedroom of course, slamming the door behind her and sitting on the edge of the bed boiling with rage. She had never felt so angry, or powerful. But she had wanted more. Not to scream or shout at him like most would have, should have, but to break him down further, dig deep down until she could rip his still beating heart from his chest , and crush it in her hand. But she had no idea how to do such a thing.

Sleep wouldn't come to her that night. No matter how tired she felt, how much her eyelids slipped, there was no way sleep would overcome her when her mind was working a mile a minute. She couldn't stop thinking about Bane's hands on her, how he had dragged her up from under the water, the look he had when he did. Even then, lying in that bed, she still couldn't place it. For a moment she wished that she knew what was going on inside his head, then decided it was probably far too horrible to even want to imagine.

She had remained on the edge of the bed all night, watching the door, ready for the moment he would burst in. Alice knew what she done wouldn't go by without consequence, that wasn't Bane's style. However, eventually sunlight peaked through the slits in the curtains, and there was a quiet moment where she thought she might have gotten away with it. Maybe he had been so shocked by her show of strength that he thought it didn't need a punishment. What had happened had been a lesson after all, Bane had said so himself.

Alice dressed quickly and readjusted the slipped bandage on her hand before emerging from the bedroom. Early morning light drowned the apartment, stinging her eyes gently as she looked over at the large windows, but the only thing that seemed to draw her attention was the frost that hit her cheeks, causing a shiver to run through her. It was always chilly in the apartment, but it felt as if her veins were starting to turn to ice. She could hear the whistle of wind coming from the back room, but that's where Bane most likely was, and where he was, she didn't want to be.

After a moment of standing there, pulling the sleeves of her jumper over her hands and watching her breath dance in the cold air she let out a small huff of frustration, before marching to the back room. She was glad to find it empty, but was surprised to see the window that she had climbed out of more than a week ago wide open. She cocked an eyebrow as she walked forward and stuck her head out, light droplets of snow settling in her hair as she did so. This time the thought of leaving didn't even occur to her, she simply pulled back and stared at the window, wondering if it was open for a reason and if she could in fact close it without meeting Bane's wrath. Looking down she could see the faded mark of bloodied fingerprints on the window sill and the feeling of self-loathing started to creep back.

Teeth chattering slightly, Alice rubbed her arms as she dropped down into the only chair the room held, swivelling slightly as she fought against the chill. Her eyes scanned the room, the small box that contained Bane's venom still sat in the corner, the files and papers were all still there in their various languages, and that bear was still sat on his desk. She picked up the tattered teddy and searched the small slit in the back again, but her necklace was nowhere to be found. She allowed a small sigh to escape as held the bear in her lap, then a sudden gust of wind picked up several pieces of paper the bear that been holding down, and most of the items blew off the desk and on to the floor. She groaned, dropping to her knees and also dropping the bear, started to pick up the documents, hoping none of them had to go in a particular order. As she hurriedly worked, only glancing at them as she did, she suddenly froze, then raised the last item she had collected closer to her face.

The beige file was old, tattered, and had her name printed in faded lettering on the front.

It took a moment for it to register, for her to pick herself up off the floor and place herself in the chair as she stared at the file. Her eyes widened once she realised what exactly this could be, the small Arkham stamp in the corner being the small giveaway. Wetting her dry lips she leaned forward and flipped it open, suddenly that spark of self-loathing from earlier started to spread throughout her bones, manifesting into a poison that was travelling through every cell in her body. Alice fell back in the chair and threw the folder on to the desk, knowing that she didn't have to read it, she already knew what had been wrong with her, how hard she had thought to make herself feel normal again after all that had happened. But thanks to Bane and his constant reminders, it was all bubbling up again.

It had started with nightmares. Dreams about her mother on the couch, blood dripping from her throat and spilling onto the carpet. But it didn't stop. It seemed to spread, racing towards Alice until it started to bleed onto her feet, consuming her as she screamed for help but was only met with the vile taste as it started to fill her throat. She woke up, coughing, spluttering. One time she woke and tasted blood. She had screamed so loudly the neighbours called the cops.

And it just got worst from there.

Sleep had become the enemy. So many people look forward to it as a means to escape those awful days that wouldn't seem to end. As the sun disappeared and the sky turned black Alice could only be fearful of what would happen as soon as she closed her eyes.

It wasn't just her mother that plagued her dreams, more often than not Zsasz would make an appearance. She had only seen pictures of him, grainy black and white ones shown in newspapers, but in her dreams he was much more horrifying. He was too over powering, too fast and strong, and no matter what he always managed to spill her blood. She had awoken screaming more times than she dared to remember, more often than not her grandmother would be there, holding her close and wiping the tears from Alice's face as she tried to calm her sobbing granddaughter, fighting back the tears that burned at her own eyes. But even nestled safely in her grandmothers arms the dreams refused to leave Alice alone.

Of course a trip to the doctors had been of no help. She remembered his mocking tone as he told her dreams couldn't hurt her, smiling as he did so, making her feel even more wretched than she already did. A prescription for sleeping pills went straight in the garbage, the last thing she needed was more sleep, so she was just going to eliminate it all together. Energy drinks, anything that could keep her awake became her new best friend. Loud music pumped through her headphones had forced her to stay awake at night, but she had only managed to last a week before collapsing in class, earning her a one way ticket to Gotham General, and then straight on to Arkham when they realised her problem was mental.

Alice picked up the folder and tore herself from the chair. The cold bit at her skin harder than ever as she clambered out onto the rickety fire escape and stood tall in the cold air and snow. She opened the file, glancing at words like unstable, insecure, that's what caused her to rip it in half. She made sure every page was shredded into tiny pieces before she threw it over the side. Then she reached the last page, a file photo with all her details. A fourteen year old with dark eyes and darker bags under them stared back at her. Her skin was dull, her hair more so. That's when she realised that the picture didn't look unlike her own reflection. Trapped in that asylum, haunted by nightmares, she didn't feel like Alice. She felt like some empty shell of a person who was being forced to live out another person's life. She felt then how she did now. And she was sick and tired of it.

She tore it in half, again and again until her picture was a million pieces that no one could put back together again, and then slowly she opened her hands, watching as the tiny pieces blew into the wind, or joined the other shredded remains of her past in the alley below. She collapsed, the fire escape rattling under her weight as she fell onto her knees, holding on the bars for support. The warm tears that rolled down her cheeks seemed to sting against her cold flesh.

Hours seemed to past before she felt the burn of Bane's eyes in the back of her head, but in reality it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. The heavy breaths from his mask seem to drift over, despite the wind blowing in her ears, and she quickly used the back of her sleeve to wipe the tears away. She allowed herself time to breath, steadying her voice that she knew would be shaky before finally addressing him. "I can hear you; your breathing isn't exactly subtle."

She had been unaware that Bane had been watching her for a few minutes before she had realised he was there. Bane had kept from her that he was the shadows, the darkness, and could reside in them for as long he wished. A simple matter such a being silent was not a hard task for him, she only heard him before he wanted her to.

"I'm not planning on throwing myself off, if that's what you're thinking."

After the previous night's conversation he was more than aware of that. She looked at him over her shoulder when he remained silent, her hair messed up from the breeze and flakes of snow settled in it. He didn't feel rage as he looked upon her but felt he should. She had gone into his room, destroyed files that were in his possession now, and what she had said to him last night, her actions, they were more than enough for a suitable punishment. But he knew this was a part of it. Switching off Zsasz's machine had been a step in her liberation, and he realised now that this was now another. He knew it wouldn't just take removing Zsasz from her life to fully unshackle her from whatever was keeping her locked up. There would be so much more to it.

"Osito."

"Excuse me?"

"His name. The bear you are holding."

Alice looked down at the scruffy toy, brushing a finger against one of its loose eyes. "Oh."

"It means little bear, in Spanish."

A small smile crept onto Alice's face, she couldn't help it. "Whoever thought of that wasn't very original."

"That would be me."

The smile died; surprise was the only thing Alice could seem to display now. "It's yours?"

"Yes."

"You weren't a very imaginative child then."

"I don't believe I was ever allowed to be, a child."

She forgot sometimes that Bane didn't have a normal childhood like most, that is, if what he said had been true. "I can fix his eyes for you, if you want. And the back has a hole."

"I like him the way he is."

_Him._ Alice actually felt a twinge in her stomach at Bane's words. She imagined a child, that looked nothing like Bane, small, dirty, clutching his only friend in the world. She quickly pushed the image out, not wanting to think of Bane as a small scared little boy.

"What exactly, are you doing in here?"

She had expected the question. Alice looked down at discarded scraps of paper that had falling at her feet instead of the alley below, to the window, then back at Bane. "The window was open so, I came in here to close it."

That's why he was back sooner than he had expected. He had left just after he had read Alice's file, assuming she had been asleep, and had gone to seek guidance. But Talia was with them, the rebels, deep in their guild and working her way into their hearts, that she was unable to reach when he so desperately needed someone to help him. As he returned he recalled that he had left the window open, a foolish error on his part, and had expected her to have fled the apartment. So finding her sat there, wind blowing in her hair and cold ravishing her as she sat on the fire escape, making no effort to run, was yet another surprise.

He walked closer, placing a hand on the wall as he studied the window. "Well, you did a very poor job of it."

Alice was still holding the Bear, shaking slightly from the chill that had taken permanent residence in her body, but Bane thought it might have been because the fury inside her soul had not yet calmed.

"Tell me the truth, Why did not try to escape? Your freedom was a few simple steps away."

"I didn't feel the need to." Alice wasn't sure if her answer was genuine; it seemed to be the only thing that her mind could think of in the moment. Besides, her response didn't seem to anger Bane, so that was a plus. "But why would I leave? Free food, a shower that works…a bed. I'm assuming that's more than a lot of people have these days."

A smile flickered beneath his mask but it didn't reach his eyes. "You are upset that I've taken those in luxury, out of it?"

She lowered her own. "It doesn't matter what I think." She mumbled, sensing that her stay in his room had outgrown its welcome.

"That's what you believe?"

"Isn't that what you believe?"

"Have I ever given you that impression?"

"Yes."

She suddenly moved forward, sticking her legs through the window so they dangled over the edge, almost touching the floor, but the rest of her remained outside in the cold. "Can we leave this window unlocked?"

"You think me foolish enough to do that a second time?"

"I won't leave." She blurted out. "I won't, I just…I feel so trapped here. Just being outside, just feeling the breeze, it makes me feel less…imprisoned. Haven't you ever felt like that?"

All his life. Even after escaping his first prison, a second was placed on his face, one that he could only escape for twenty minutes a day. The way she looked at him caused this odd sensation in the pit of his stomach, and he wanted it to stop. "You only wish to sit on this fire escape?"

She nodded, clutching the bear closer to herself.

He knew he shouldn't trust her, but perhaps if he put his trust in her, she would put it in him. "I will unlock it for twenty minutes a day, but only whilst I am here. During that time you may come out here," He edged closer, bending down so his face confronted hers. "But if you attempt to run, attempt to escape,"

"You'll hunt me down." She finished for him. "I know."

"I'll break your legs," He added, with such calm it made her feel ill. "Then you won't even be able to leave the spot on the floor where you fall."

"Fair enough." She remarked quietly, sliding into the room then and hearing the window glide close behind her, just before Bane locked it. She placed the tattered teddy down before escaping the room and venturing to the kitchen, but Bane arrived shortly after, just as she was pouring milk on to her cereal.

"It has been over a week, since Zsasz."

"So?" Alice shrugged, pulling a spoon from the drawer before using her hip to close it.

"Your stitches need to come out."

"Oh," She muttered quietly, looking down at her hand. "Right now? Do…do I have to go back to….to Arkham?"

Bane noticed the nerves took control of her voice for the last part. He wanted to tell her that he would never allow her to return there, but decided to keep quiet on that matter. "No, little one. You will not require medical assistant for something so simple. You may remove them yourself, if you so wish. I have the necessary tools."

"Um…" She looked at the tools he held in his hand, a small pair of scissors and tweezers. "Would…would you? I don't really trust myself."

"I thought you didn't need anything from me."

The response from him had been so cold but it didn't falter Alice, she had been expecting it. "I think we both know that's not true."

Perhaps he should have just said no to her request for help, but he didn't want to. "Very well."

Bane took a seat at the small dining table adjacent to the kitchen. Grabbing her bowl she took a seat next to him edging the chair closer so her hand could be in reach. "Hand." He stated.

"Manners don't cost anything." She mumbled quietly, instantly noticing the look he gave her and instantly regretting her choice of words.

"Your hand, please."

She held back the smile and surprise as she placed her hand upward on the table for him, looking towards her bowl of cereal as she felt his callous fingers touch hers and start to unwind the bandage. She tried to ignore, not looking over as she ate her cereal slowly, making sure she chewed every mouthful properly before swallowing. Alice heard the snip of the scissors as he cut through the first stitch. Five snips later and she glanced over to see Bane tug the first stitch from her hand and she winced slightly when it pulled at her skin.

"It is healing well. You are rather lucky."

"Not exactly the word I would use."

She sighs when she realises he's staring at her again. She can't decide if he likes watching her or if he just does it to make her feel uncomfortable. The latter is probably the correct option.

"This could have been much worse. But you have cared for it properly, cleaned it. You have done well, Alice."

It was her turn to stare at him now. It always sent a chill down her spine when he said her name, it happened so rarely that it was still such a strange sound to her ears. But it didn't stop her feeling like a small child being congratulated for doing a simple task. She felt like a child next to him, small and pathetic. She had her moment last night when she was able to overpower with just her words, but what good were words when he could so easily silence her? What good was it when she would probably never feel like that again?

When the final stitch was out she watched as Bane pressed his thumbs either side of the cut. It was pink, raw, and he could see the jagged flesh where the knife had dug into her skin. "It seems as if Zsasz has scared you for life."

"Again." She muttered. Bane's eyes flickered up to her face but she was staring at the empty bowl. "Why did you have my file?"

"You are surprised by this?"

"No." She replied honestly. "I just…I don't understand why you are so damned interested in me."

Bane wasn't so sure either. He watched her as she pulled the sleeves of her jumper back over her hands, noticing for the first time the blood that adorned it, it was the same jumper she had worn when they had gone to see Zsasz, and was surprised to see her wearing it. "You need clothes." He suddenly found himself saying aloud. Even Bane would not continue to wear items that were stained with the blood of his fatalities, and he didn't expect Alice to either.

Alice's eyes move down to her jumper, but she only shrugged. "I'm fine."

"The things you have, they are no good. Especially if you plan on sitting on that fire escape every day."

"Well, maybe if all my clothes didn't have blood on them."

"That is, your own fault. I have never made you bleed."

Alice barked a small laugh. "Really? Because I distinctly remember you splitting my lip open with the back of your hand."

His eyes scanned her face, darting over the dark mark on her plump lower lip. "I stand corrected."

"You can get me clothes if you really want. I'm not bothered either way. But you're not going to go to my home again, are you?"

"No." He replied. "But you and I, we will go obtain clothes for you."

"You're letting me out?"

"You will be with me, so whatever you are planning. Forget it quickly."

"I wasn't, I was…just surprised, that's all." She shrugged once more, finally pulling her hand from the table and into her lap.

"We will go tonight, so I expect you to be ready."

"Why not now?"

"You wish to be seen out with me?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow as he stood from the table.

"Fine. Tonight it is then."

At first glance Gotham's shopping mall looked like it had been abandoned for years, not a few months. The large glass windows that covered the front had been smashed in, the remnants covering the floor as they stepped through the front doors, one which was laid out on the floor, the other just barely hanging on. Most of the shops had been broken in to. Glass crunched under her and Bane's boots with every step. "So was this the liberation you were talking about? People going out and stealing iPods and other shit they don't need?"

He said nothing back to her. Alice sighed, clutching the torch he had giving to her before they left the apartment tighter in her hand as they continued to walk through the empty mall. "There's a clothing store I usually use just around the corner. They should have some warm stuff, if it hasn't been looted already."

"Very well, lead the way."

The store had been broken into too, but at least there were still articles of clothing on the rails, some mostly scattered on the floor.

"So, you have no problem with stealing, little one?"

"Well I'm already a murderer. Might as well go for the whole shebang."

"But you never killed for the pleasure of it."

She suddenly stopped, turning to him and shining the torch light at him. "What?"

Banes eyes squinted for a moment before she lowered the light from his gaze. "You think yourself the same as him. But you're not. The first time you killed may not have been for your own protection, but it was for something else's, it was a noble act, even if it was foolish. The second, even though it was not in self-defence, I could see that you gained no pleasure from it."

Alice didn't want to mention that she had in fact, found a small pleasure in it, even though it had been fleeting. She raised the light higher a second time, blinding him again before his eyes adjusted to the sudden invasion. "So I did kill him then." She murmured. "That guy, in that alleyway."

"Yes little one, you did."

Alice dropped the light and turned to start searching for appropriate clothes. She knew Bane was watching her but choose to ignore it. She found several items that in normal circumstances she would have bought, but wasn't sure if they would fit. Glancing over at Bane and seeing his back turned to her she quickly shrugged off the backpack he had given her earlier, removed her coat and top before pulling on the article of clothing. She was satisfied that the sleeves could be pulled up over her hand and that the garment fit her body well. She had been worried that perhaps with all the stress weight loss that been a large issue and was glad to see it wasn't.

Next was a deep red jumper she had found, but it was too big, hanging loosely on her body as she looked herself in the mirror. No matter, she was going to take it anyway; it wasn't like she had a lot of options.

"That top is too big for you."

"It's fine." She shrugged.

"You do not want to own clothes that fit?"

"Says the man whose shirts are all tight on him. I think you just like showing off your muscles."

It was strange to see how differently she acted around him considering a few days before she wasn't even speaking to him. After her behaviour from the previous night there had almost been an instant turn around in how she acted around him, reverting to how she used to be, probably showing even more so how she really was witty, funny. There was so much more to her than she had allowed him to see. Perhaps it had been years since she had allowed herself to be who she really was.

She was holding up another top, studying the blue garment in the torch light as he came up behind, eyes on her slender form that the top, despite its loose form, showed off well enough. He found himself wanting to place his hands on the curve of her waist, perhaps slide them higher if allowed. Instead he shook off the thought, and tightened his hand around the loose fabric of the top, causing her to realise he was right behind her. "Loose clothes can be grabbed," He informed her. "Wear something that fits." She felt his knuckles brush against her skin before he let go off her top and walked off to the other side of the store.

Alice found herself standing there for several moments, holding the top tightly in her hands as the patch of skin where he had touched her seemed to burn, fading only when she tore her eyes away.

She found several other tops, jumpers and underwear, shoving them all into the bag Bane had given her, she even managed to find two pairs of jeans in her size and shoved them in too. She wandered around the store, trying to find anything of use when she found herself stumbled into the men's department. She looked around, wondering if Bane would need anything. His attire never seemed to change, cargo pants, black tops. She wondered if he even owned anything else. She found herself laughing when she wondered if he was a boxer or briefs man. It seemed like too normal a thing for him to own, but he had to wear something, didn't he?

She discovered Bane after a while, standing by the entrance to the shop, looking out into the dark halls of the shopping mall. "Don't suppose we could find a drug store, could we?"

"Do as you wish, little one. But don't take too long."

The drugstore is wrecked. Anything useful has been wiped clean from the shelves, even the kids cough medicine has been completely wiped out. She has to get down on all fours, searching under the broken shelves until she finds several packets of weak ibuprofen, but at least it's better than nothing. She would like to go one day with the constant nagging pain biting at her hand, and she dare not ask Bane for anything, she already knows what his answer would be.

She was glad when she found several packs of tampons, shoving them into the bag and causing it to bulk up. Next on her mental shopping list were batteries and luckily they seemed to be the only thing in the store that she didn't have to scram around to find.

Walking out she pulled on the now heavy backpack, torch clenched between her teeth as she made sure the pack was securely on her shoulders. It wasn't until she was in the centre of the hall, wiping the end of the torch on her trousers when she heard the grunting coming from further on down. She ran, until she can see them in the distance, that's when the torch is switched off and she's hurrying over into the shadows for cover, still edging closer to see what's happening.

Several men were attacking Bane at once, swinging at him as he easily deflected their punches and kicks, breaking arms, wrists, as they fought against him. Regardless of their fallen comrades, they all continued to lunge at him, all failing miserably.

It was remarkable really, the way he moved. Because of his size Alice had expected it all to be about brute force, and it mainly was. Hard punches and kicks that would easily take down his opponents, but he was agile too. The punches were hard, but they were also fast, causing him to have the upper hand on those surrounding him. She could hear bones snapping, screams coming from the men as the flayed on the floor in pain, others lying completely motionless. Every strike was a strike to kill. It was complete carnage. Nevertheless, Alice couldn't seem to find the will to want to run away.

She slid down onto her knees, torch discarded on the floor as she watched in fascination at what was happening.

Eventually it was just him and a lone man, circling each other as they waited for the other to strike. They were the same height, but Bane with his large shoulders and arms seemed to tower over him. The man with the dirty hair now soaked in sweet held his dagger up, glinting in the light as he grip it in his hand. "It seems it is just down to you and me, my friend," Bane said, his voice echoing in the empty space. "Do you believe you can succeed where your brothers in arms have failed?"

"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"I will take that, as a yes."

The man lunged towards Bane, knife at the ready, but it didn't even matter. Bane grabbed his arm, twisted it and caused a very obvious snap to ring out, as well as a high yell from the man. Then it's suddenly over. He drops to the floor like a sack of bricks, Bane standing over him as he wipes the blood from his brow. "Are you finished, little one?" It takes her a moment to realise he was addressing her. She swallowed hard realising her mouth is dry and finally finds the courage to speak. "Ye – Yes."

"Well, I'm not." He looked around at the men on the floor, motionless, most probably dead. Except one ne is dragging himself along the marble floor, one last poor attempt to escape. Bane notices and slowly makes his way forward as Alice closes her eyes and covers her ears, but she still hears the stomp and the last gasp of life. When her eyes open, she saw that he was now motionless too. Bane bent down and picked up one of the guns, starting to fiddle with it as Alice gathered up the torch, switching it back on as she stood up. "Turn it off." He suddenly barked and Alice does as she's told.

"What's going on?"

"Lesson two." He replied as he walked slowly over to her, grabbing her hand and placing the gun in her palm. "Only use it if necessary."

Alice felt damp against her fingers, and she realises that it's covered with blood.

"But,"

"Do not put your finger on the trigger unless you have to, do you understand me?"

She looked up, seeing the seriousness in his eyes, and then slowly nodded.

"There are only four shells, so if you do use it, use it wisely."

"Aren't you afraid I might just shoot you?"

"No little one, I am not. But there are others here. I assume they followed us, so you must remain here until I return."

"You're leaving me?"

The tremble in her voice forced Bane's eyes to meet hers as he wipes the blood from his hand onto his shirt. "Yes."

"And you're just going to kill them?" Her voice was so weak and quiet, eyes darting back between Bane and the bodies that surrounded them. That's when he realised that she was scared, but of what he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was him. Bane was aware that she knew what he could do, she had even witnessed it on a few occasions, but she had never seen him in his element, when he was fighting, unable to release his true power, perhaps it had made her even more afraid of him. For some reason, he didn't like that.

"If they attempt to take my life as these people did, I will take theirs first. You would do well to remember that."

"But,"

He took a step forward, pinching her chin with his fingers. "If they attempt to take your life_, take – theirs – first_."

"I don't know how to use a gun." She whispered back.

"Point and shoot. Don't miss." He let go then, not shoving her away as he had done many times before, but simply allowing his fingers to fall, noticing the red smears that he had left behind. "I will return shortly. Remain here."

His footsteps seemed to echo for an eternity as he walked away, and suddenly Alice was alone, in the dark, surrounded by death. As she stared at the gun in her hands she realised they were shaking terribly. She gripped the gun tighter, hoping that it would stop, but it just caused the blood to smear, and she felt like she was sat in the alley again. When the smell hit her, she realised she needed to get away from there, regardless of what Bane had said. She quickly turned, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder before marching away from the crime scene. Was she really meant to just sit here and wait? Surely he hadn't of expected her to sit in the middle of those bodies and make until he returned with even more spilt blood upon him. Her feet echoed across the marble floor as she made her way into the nearest shop, marching to back and sinking down against the wall when she started to hear yells and gun fire.

The gun was placed gently on the floor as she desperately tried not to accidently set it off, and she wondered to herself, how was this her life now? This was the messed up shit that happened in films and TV shows, not real life. Then again, no part of her life had exactly been normal. The yells grew for a second, turning into screams, and she thought about Bane charging in there, snapping necks and arms like they were made of paper.

She had been right. Bane tore through these men left, right, and centre, returning each of their weak blows with powerful ones that sent them off their feet. As some of them staggered, clambered off their knees, he reached his arms out and turned to each of them slowly. "I give you freedom and this is how you repay me? I allow you to crush the very society which had kept you locked away all those years, and you turn against me?"

When the fist came from nowhere Bane grabbed it, crushing the man's hand in his as the others looked on, waiting for their turn to strike. He heard gun fire and something knock his shoulder, so he charged at the older man holding the gun shakily, before quickly snapping his neck. He had enjoyed the fight, he had giving him new found energy, but it was time for it to end. The last three he finished quickly, leaving the last one screaming on the floor with bone protruding from his leg.

Bane felt satisfied, fresh blood on his hands and on his clothes, energy buzzed throughout him as he climbed the dead escalator slowly, back to where he had left Alice. When the gunshot rang out in the empty halls, he started to run.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you guys so much for your lovely reviews and PM's! And I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting!**

**Trigger Warning: Attempted Rape**

* * *

She should have been thinking about running, there she was, all alone, Bane nowhere to be seen, but her mind couldn't even seem to force itself to think about such a thing as escaping, her only thoughts seemed to be of the masked man.

In a way she felt lucky that he hadn't killed her yet. It wouldn't be hard, a snap, a simple twitch of his hand, that's all it would take. Yet after everything, her comebacks, her attitude, all of which she knew annoyed him and made him so angry, she had seen him kill people for less, yet she was still here. Still breathing.

Then there were times when she reckoned she would be better off dead. She thought that as she sat in the snow covered in blood, as Zsasz was on her, trying with all his might to slice her neck open. Alice doesn't want to die, but sometimes death just sounds so much easier than living her life.

The only light that penetrated the darkness was the flickering neon sign on the wall. Alice hadn't bothered to switch the torch on; it was now resting by her side next to her limp hand which throbbed from far too much activity. She pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around them as she stared at the gun on the marble floor, the black surface shining blue in the cold light.

She tilted her back until it hit the wall, her eyes falling close and her breaths deepening as she allowed how tired she felt too slowly wash over her. The faint smell of coffee still lingered in the store, and when it hit her she starts to feel sick. She's hungry. Her stomach rumbles and it suddenly felt too empty, like she hadn't eaten in days instead of hours. But the smell of coffee is suddenly mixing with the scent of blood that's on her hands, wiped on to her clothes, and the mix of the two doesn't make her feel any better.

But the pain is the thing annoying her the most. Not only was the ache in her cut starting to make her hand burn, her head was throbbing, pulsating against a post in her skull and making her feel even worse than she already did. Alice pulled the bag close and started to search for the ibuprofen from earlier, popping only two from the foil packet even though she seriously considered taking more. She can't swallow these things dry, and she's in a bloody coffee shop, there has to be something there.

The place isn't as wrecked as the other shops. Behind the counter she sees the remnants of the smashed till on the floor, which makes her laugh, what's the point of nicking money if you can't use it? At least there was a large, now dead, fridge, full of bottled drinks. She grabbed a bottle of mountain dew, studied the date, and then downed half the contents in one go, but the churning feeling in her stomach doesn't reside. Regardless, she pops the pills into her mouth, adding a swig of the still fizzy but warm drink to wash them down.

A yell rings out from somewhere catching her by surprise and forcing a cough to escape her as she chokes on the liquid and pills that were half way down her throat. Several more rang out and after a second she realised she had been holding her breath so she could hear what was happening.

No. She's wasn't going to listen to the sound of men dying. She started to hum loudly as she grabbed a couple of bottles from the fridge and shoves into her already over cumbered backpack. The yells and screams continue but tries to drown them out, humming too loudly and picking up several granola bars, shoving them into her pack back as she attempts to distract herself from the echoes of dying men. But she can't help but wonder if Bane is ok, or if he's been out numbered.

She didn't hear the footsteps, or the sound of the gun sliding from the floor as someone picks it up. It's not until she heard a click that's she's only ever heard in films and television that she stops what she's doing, and slowly turns.

"What we got here then?"

His voice seemed to pierce through her, it was low and grimy. It made her feel sick. His eyes meet hers, small beady things that seem to grow large with delight as he looked at her. He's shorter than Bane, smaller in proportion but obviously fatter, flannel shirt tucked not so neatly into his too tight trousers, his greasy hair flattened over his forehead.

Alice eyes flicker to the gun in his dirty hand and she slowly raised her own, forcing her fingers not to tremble. "It's not loaded, so you might as well put it down." She spills the lie out, trying her best to sound convincing, but it doesn't work.

"Oh really?" He said with a smirk, then points the gun towards a large portrait on the wall and pulls the trigger. The sound is louder, more violent than Alice expected, it rung in her ears and seemed to make her whole body shake. "Think you were lying to me, princess."

She took a step back, both hands now raised . "You should just get away from me." It's hard to fight back the terror from her voice, but she manages it well. She can feel her legs trembling, daring to collapse underneath her. There's a voice in her head telling her to stay calm, be brave, so she tries her best to do so.

"Why would I want to do a thing like that? You're such a pretty….young….thing, bit older than I like them…"

The bile was slowly rising up in her throat, but she managed to swallow it back. This was just her luck. "You – You don't want to do this."

"You're Bane's little bitch, aren't you?"

She froze as the words sunk in. "What did you just call me?"

"Bane's. Little. Bitch." He repeated with a chuckle. "Saw you, and him, coming in here together. He managed to take out a couple of my boys but I'm sure they've taken care of him by now."

"Unlikely." She muttered, regretting it when she saw the flash of anger on his face.

"Well, if that true, maybe I should send him a more…personal…message."

He's walked towards her, gun still pointed at her as his other hand reached for his belt, starting to slowly unbuckle it.

For a moment the terror seems to drain out of her, as she listened to the echo of his footsteps, hearing the magnified sound of his trouser zip sliding open. Right then, the only thing she could think, was fuck it.

She lunged for the gun, pushing his hand up as his finger slipped against the trigger and fired another round into the ceiling.

"I don't fucking think so." He growled at her, backhanding her across the face as flecks of dust fall onto the both of them. It hurt, not as much as when Bane did it, the pain of which had brought tears to her eyes and made her pause from the pain. This man's physical strength paled in comparison, but the sting on her cheek still caught her by surprise.

Before she is even aware, he's pushing her to the floor.

"NO! GET OFF ME!" She screamed at him as he pinned her down. "GET OFF ME YOU SICK FUCK!" She tried to ignore the feel of his cold as they tore violently at the front of her top, moving down to the button of her pants. "GET OFF ME!"

He paused, and for a fleeting second she thought he was actually going to stop. How wrong she was. She felt his cold fingers against her dry lips, shushing her in such a mocking manner she wants to kill him right there and then. "No need for that, Princess. I'm sure what I'm about to do won't even come close to what he does to you,"

Alice stared up at him and blinked the tears from her eyes. This is a time where she knows she would be better off dead. She wanted Bane. She wanted him to swoop in and save her, snap the fuckers neck if he had to, anything to make it stop. But that wasn't going to happen. "Although," He continued, delight in his voice as he brought his knees onto her arms and started to tear at her top further. "I can't blame him, you are lov – " She spat in his face, feeling immense pleasure when he recalled in disgust, moving his weight off her so he could wipe her saliva from his eyes. "You stupid, little – "

He hadn't expected it. She hadn't even thought about it until she saw her chance, and she was proud of herself for realising. Sliding her leg out from beneath his lose weight, she forced her leg up, boot connecting with his jaw, sending him backwards and harshly to the floor. Alice forced herself onto her knees, despite the fact the room spun as she did. She could hear his pained grunts as her fingers finally touched the gun he had placed next to them. It felt warm, buzzing with energy as she gripped it tightly and dragged it towards her, but his hands were already on her legs and flipping her over onto her back. "YOU STUPID LITTLE CUNT."

She hadn't expected anything but pure rage from him. He dragged himself on top of her, pinning once of her arms down as blood slid down from his nose and over his lip. She should have been terrified in that moment, she should have been trembling with absolute fear, crying and screaming, but she couldn't even seem to muster that up. Alice was angry, that was the only thing she could feel. Fury at this bastard for hurting and touching her. As his other hand reached for hers that held the gun firmly in its grip, and she knew he was after it. Maybe he was just sick of her struggling, or perhaps he hadn't anticipated her to fight back so furiously. Fortunately, Alice was faster, moving her hand between the two of them and squeezing the trigger tightly.

_'If they attempt to take your life, take – theirs – first." _

The sound of the gun pierced her ears and for the next few moments all she could hear was that familiar high pitched buzz that had polluted her hearing once before. Without realising it she had squeezed her eyes tight, and as she slowly opened them she was met by his face, trembling with pain above her. Even though she believed she should of, that anyone else would have, she felt absolutely no satisfaction from it. "You….fucking….bitch…" He managed to gasp before finally collapsing on top her.

He wasn't dead. Alice could feel his chest move against hers, his awful breath on her skin. It took less than a second for her to push him off so he flopped onto his back next to her. There she remained, unable to move, listening to the shallow breaths that came from the body next to her.

Clutching the gun at her side she thought about using the last bullet in his head, ending his suffering, but the thought made her sick; sick that she would even think about doing such a thing, even though she had just shot a bullet into his gut. Tears rolled to the floor as she suppressed the urge to press the gun against her own temple. She felt hot, her skin itched. She made a silent vow that once she got back to that apartment she was never leaving it again.

Her eyes snapped open when she first heard the footsteps enter the shop. She sprung up, clutching the gun with both hands at the figured that entered, but his silhouette, the slow movements, everything about it screamed Bane. And when she finally saw his face she allowed her hands to fall into her lap and once again she fell against the floor, exhausted. "He isn't dead, little one."

"I know." She replied quietly, licking her dry lips and forcing herself to look at him. She couldn't see him properly, not in the low neon light, but she knew there was more blood on him, the stench of death was overwhelming as he crouched down on his haunches next to her.

He shouldn't have left her. He knew that, as soon as she had looked at him with those terrified eyes and he had placed the gun in her hand. He had believed those people would have been far more interested in finding him than her, she was of no use to them, she wasn't the one keeping them trapped in this cesspool of a city day after day. But he should of known there would have been one amongst them who just couldn't resist her.

He moved his hand over, brushing fingertips against the scratches on her chest, eyes glancing, but pulling them away when they stared a touch too long. "He did this to you?"

The question seemed ridiculous as soon as it left his lips. It was obvious what had happened, and she had defended herself to the best of her ability. There was almost a sense of pride at the fact she was lying there with little damage, a few scratches was all he could see in the faint light.

He could feel her trembling slightly underneath his hand, and he saw her nod her head slightly as she shifted on the floor.

"What else did he do?"

The only answer she gave him was closing her eyes, a silent tear creeping down the side of her face and into her hair. Bane could feel the rage build inside him as he looked at her, and over to the unknown male. His hand moved down to her hip, squeezing it gently, he didn't know why but the action seemed to stop her trembling. However, he felt the slight softness of skin under his touch, looking down he saw the button of her jeans undone, and her trousers tugged lower down than they should be.

"Did he violate you?" The question came out harsher than it should have but the anger was already bubbling up inside him as he thought about that creature next to Alice touching her, violating her in a way she should never be. The knowledge that someone besides him had touched her…he had to supress every urge he had to lean over and snap the man's neck right then. But unfortunately, that would have to wait.

"No."

"But he tried."

She nodded. He found himself squeezing her harder, but he was careful not to hurt her.

"You will get up, you will take your things, and you will wait for me where I left you."

"I don't want you to leave me alone."

He felt surprised by her confession, but knew deep down that she only said it because she was scared, not because she wanted to be with him.

"You will not want to see what I am about to do."

She didn't need to hear anything else. He helped her to stand, taking a hold of her under the arm and dragging her off the floor. As she picked up her bag from the floor he took a hold of her wrist, slipping the gun away that was still gripped in her fingers. "You'll no longer need this."

She looks over at him, trying with all her might not to look over at the body on the floor. "I guess….I'll wait for you outside then."

As soon as she leaves the shop he drops down to one knee, grabbing a fistful of dirty hair and tugging the man's head up sharply. "Wake up." Bane says coldly, knowing the man has simply slipped into sleep because of the pain. When his eyes remained closed Bane let's go, allowing the head to hit the ground harshly before lowering his hand, finding the wound Alice had cause, and shoving two fingers against the bullet.

That gets him. He wakes up with an agonizing scream. Bane felt blood ooze around his fingers as he pressed deeper into the man guts. "You followed us here?"

"Ye – yes!" The pathetic excuse for a man splutters, blood oozing from his lips. Bane stops for a moment as he listens to the sound echoing in from outside. He can hear Alice retching, probably being sick, and his grasp tightens further as his attention pulls away from her.

"For how long?"

The man's pained expression remains, but a smile starts to break out on his face. "Since your place." He attempted to chuckle, he makes a croaking sound as the laugh leaves his throat, but it just turned into another agonized yell.

"And how do I know you're not lying?"

"Tall – Pale building, cinema across the street, big burly guys out front."

Bane only has one more question, then he's going to shoot this man right between the eyes.

"So answer me this, why, if you came here for me, did you go after her," He pulled the man closer, their noses almost touching as continued to push down against the now warm metal, watching the animal writhe in pain. "and attempt to rape her."

He didn't answer, only screamed as Bane continues to push the small bullet deeper. It was amazing how such a tiny thing could cause so much distress. "ANSWER ME." Bane barked. He's still shaking from pain, but the man eyes meet Bane's, and as he opened his mouth Bane can see the blood had now stained his teeth and lips a dark red as he speaks. "She ain't – the first." He chuckled. "When I see a young – tight – thing like that, can't help myself."

On the last word Bane picked the gun up from his side and shoved the tip of the barrel into the man's mouth, hearing it clink against his teeth. His eyes grew wide and he started to squirm, saying muffled words as Bane pushed the gun further. "You made a very wrong choice tonight, and my Al – " he stopped himself from saying what he wants to say. He doesn't want to utter her name in the presence of someone so foul. "My dear – has punished you for it, but I know she does not want to feel the guilt that is left with yet another death caused by her."

The horror started to fade from the man's face, eyes shrinking back to their original size.

"I however, will hold no such guilt."

The waste of life doesn't have time to protest, beg for his pitiful existence. Bane's finger is already squeezing the trigger and seconds later he's watching fragments of skull, flesh, brain and blood, splatter on the floor.

He took a moment to collect himself, steady his breath before standing tall, his eyes focus on the mess before him. "Bane?" He turned and saw her stood in the entranceway, eyes focused on him as she desperately tried to not look at the brains now covering the coffee shop floor. She's much more paler than she was five minutes ago, a hand gripping onto her stomach as she looked at him.

"Are you alright, little one?"

She swallows hard and nods. "My stomach hurts but…I feel a little better now." She looks back over her shoulder before taking a few quick steps into the shop. "There's more of them. I can hear them. I think they heard the shot."

Bane held the gun tighter as he brushes past her, and sure enough, he can hear the roar of footsteps and lowered voices. "We need to leave. There's only so many I can fight off by myself." But he can't seem to move his legs. He stands there, staring out at the darkness, listening to the muffled sounds that echo out towards him.

"Let's go back then." He suddenly hears her say from before him.

"They know where we reside." He says sternly as he turns towards her. "And they will probably beat us there."

"Well, I just saw you take out, what? Five guys at once?"

"You did. Nevertheless, I don't know how many there are. And if there are more than that I cannot protect you as well."

The footsteps and voices are growing louder by the second and he knows that they need to leave now. Bane tosses the gun aside, furious that simple task such as this has turned into a blood bath, especially with her here. "I know somewhere we can go." Her eyes are now in the same direction his were.

"Where?"

"It's not far." Her voice drops lower as she talks, eyes unable to move from the darkness in front of them.

At this point Bane had no other option, and neither does Alice. "Very well, you will need to lead."

Alice walked at a fast pace as she lead Bane through the suburban streets, snow crunching under their feet as the heavy snow falls around them. They turned another corner and as soon as it reaches Bane's eye line he knows what house they are going to. It clearly stands out, grass and weeds have taken over the front lawn, a for-sale sign lays knocked over by the side of the once white fence which has grown grey over time. Although the house doesn't look in bad condition he could feel the bad presence radiating from it, and he's surprised that Alice is walking so eagerly towards it. "Are you sure you want to go here little one?"

She stops with one hand on the gate, turning back to him. "Not really. but I don't know anywhere we could go, do you?"

He doesn't. At least, not somewhere he could take her. "No."

"Well then. I don't want to sleep in the snow. And we can't go back to the apartment right now, can we?"

"It wouldn't be wise."

"Well, no other choice then, is there?" She turned sharply and heads for the front door, dropping the bag onto the porch before getting down on her hands and knees. Bane waited a moment, surveying the neighbourhood; all the houses are silent, probably full of sleeping families blissfully unaware that man who had trapped them there is stood outside their homes.

"Are you coming or not?" She called out. He looked over to the young woman who is standing with one hand on her hip, and what looks like a dirty key in the other.

It's warmer in the house, but only just. Dropping the bag in dining room, she headed straight for the kitchen and grabs a bowl out from one of the cupboards before heading back outside and past Bane, who was now standing in the hallway. He watched her as she knelt down, scooping clean snow into the bowel. He had to admit, she's resourceful, and not nearly as stupid as he first thought when he met her that night. But there's one thing he's known for a while, she's a survivor. Regardless of the things that have happened to her, the constant bad luck that seemed to follow her wherever she goes, she always manages to come out in one piece and with her life intact. And that's a trait he can admire.

He left her to it, deciding to look around the house instead. Walking slowly from room to room he looks at the items covered with a thick layer of dust, remnants of a once happy home. As he walked through the living room, past the sheet covered couches and pictures of small children, he could feel it, the lingering feel of death the seemed to surround the place. The torch he's holding tightly hits the ground, and he notices the patch of hardwood floor that's darker than the rest and ruined, stained by blood that someone didn't seem to want to wash away.

Why on earth would she want to come here when there were perhaps hundreds of homes now abandoned in this city?

Perhaps this was the next step. Confronting her past. Shedding herself of more demons. Bane didn't have a clue what she dreamt about at night, what nightmares plagued her, but perhaps this house had something to do with it.

By the time he makes it to the dining room Alice is siting at the table, using snow to wet the dried blood on her hands and wiping it away with an old kitchen cloth she's found. Her torch is lit on the table sitting next to the bag. Some of the contents laid out in front of her. The bottles of drink, one of the bars is half eaten and he noticed that she's chewing as she cleaned. The blood doesn't come off her hands completely, but she decides it's better than nothing. She's just so sick and tired of looking at her hands and seeing blood, hers or anyone else's.

Her eyes keeps darting up, looking at the doorway that leads to the living room, the same one from her nightmares where she stands as the blood crawls towards. A shiver shoots down her spine and she scrubs her hands harder, eyes focused on them and nothing else. She realised then it was foolish to come here, more so to bring Bane with her.

When Bane finally entered after watching her from the kitchen but she only raised her eyes for a second before moving onto her other hand. The bandage is filthy, covered with blood, dust, and dirt, but at least it's protecting her cut from whatever is trying to get in.

Bane removes his coat, setting it on a spare chair before removing the vest that protects his torso. The long sleeve top that's clinging to his skin is next. As he peels it from his body Alice can see the blood that's poured from the wound on his shoulder, smearing over his bicep, darkening as it dries.

"That looks painful."

He set the top on the table and took a seat in the chair opposite "I wouldn't know." He answered back.

"So, you can't feel….anything? Pain….touch?"

"I feel, little one. But pain, no. The Venom is designed to eradicate my pain, not numb me completely."

"Well, does that mean you can feel, uh,"

"What, little one?"

She bit her lip as she continued to clean blood out from under her nails. "Pleasure? I suppose. Do you uh, can things feel…good?" Alice dared to meet his eyes, and even though their narrowed towards her, she can't seem to see any anger placed there. There seems to be more curiosity than anything else. "Not often." He finally answered, leaning back in the chair and looking back towards the wound on his shoulder.

She can feel a slight warmth in her cheeks and she's grateful Bane's not looking at her. She felt silly for asking, but it wasn't as if she could have possibly known that. Curiosity just seemed to get the better of her in that moment.

He stretched an arm across the table, pulling the bowl of now melting snow towards him. She watched with slight fascination as he attempts to clean the blood from his arm, but she can see he's having trouble with it. After a few failed attempts, and a few repressed laughs, she finally got sick of watching and stood from her chair, settling in the one next to Bane. He raised an eyebrow when she dipped the corner of the towel into the bowl. She cannot help but smile slightly at his confusion. "It was painful to watch." She told him as she took a hold of his arm with one hand and started to clean the blood away. Her hands are cold from the snow but his skin as always is surprisingly warm. She could see the bullet that was lodged into his arm and the sight made her stomach stir a little. "What are you going to do about that? Shouldn't we go to a hospital?"

"You believe going to a hospital is a good idea, considering who I am?"

"Well….no, but, you've been shot!"

"An injury that has happened before and I suspect it won't be the last time a bullet is shot into my flesh. I shall have one of my men remove it tomorrow, little one, there is no need for concern."

"I'm not concerned."

"I heard concern, in your tone."

"Well, there wasn't, and if there was, it wasn't genuine."

They stared at each other for a moment before he finally turned away, allowing her to carry on with cleaning the wound. "I'm going to need to wrap up your shoulder in something. Stop the bleeding."

He grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and ripped the sleeve clean off. When she raised an eyebrow at him, he sighs quietly. "It's ruined anyway."

A small smile crept onto her lips as she wrapped the sleeve around his arm, making sure it's tight and secure. Then without asking if he wants her to, she started to clean the blood from his face and mask. He didn't protest. She cleaned the valves, the casing, then she started to wipe at the streak of blood running across the top of his head. When she placed a hand on his neck to steady herself and to stop him moving, she could feel his Adam's apple bob against her palm, and Bane can feel a tingle in his throat as her hand seemed to press harder.

Bane was surprised that she had managed to stand close to him so long, touch him so intimately without her flinching away from him, or shaking with fear as she had done a mere hour or so ago.

It would have been a lie if he said he didn't enjoy being this close to her, and not have her terrified for once.

Her touch was much softer and gentler than his could ever be. Her hands working delicately as they wiped every speck of blood her eyes could find in the dim light.. He knew that if it was the other way around he would not have been so tender with her, even if he had tried to. His hands weren't designed to care and fix as hers were, they were made for destruction.

She wondered how he felt about her hands being on him. If he didn't like it he would have said, or pushed her away. But he sat there perfectly still, eyes slipping closed occasionally as she worked to get rid of the blood. She wasn't sure what exactly made her want to do this for him. Maybe she just wanted to clear away the stench of death that was hanging between them.

"All done." She finally announced. Alice had a feeling he was glad for it. He was so tense under her touch, body straight, and eyes facing forward, not daring to look at her. He obviously hadn't of liked her touching him in such a manner, but then against she hadn't exactly enjoyed cleaning blood of him either.

He felt cleaner, regardless of the blood that was still smeared on his hands and forearms, but he would take care of that later.

"We'll leave before sunrise. That will give us time to return home."

"I'm already home." She said quietly as she used the bloodied cloth l to mop up water off the table.

"This is no longer a home, little one, certainly not yours."

"Fine." She sighed. "It's still my house though."

"That you haven't set foot in, in over fifteen years I presume?"

"Would anyone want to? We tried selling it, but as you can see it didn't take." She sighed. "Plus the big red stain in the living room probably wasn't very appealing. It's all over the couch too. My dad never got rid of any of the stuff after it happened. Just packed the things we needed and moved us to our nans."

He looked over to her, eyes shining; hair messed up from wind and struggle. The timid girl lying on the shop floor, drowning in her own guilt, was gone. In this place, her home, her domain, she seems so much brighter and in charge, not afraid of Bane or anyone. That is until she looks over to the living room, across the hallway from where they are. That's when he starts to see her eyes water and lip tremble, but she pushed it back, refusing to cry or seem weak right then.

"I think this is the first time I've been here since it happened."

"And you still remembered where the key was."

She looked over to the rusty, muddied key that was sat on the table. "Yeah. You never forget some things I guess."

"It's my fault." She suddenly blurts out. He looks back over to her and notices her hand pressed against the torn section of her top, finger pressing against the bright pink marks that will fade and be long forgotten in a few days' time. "I shouldn't have put the gun down but, I didn't want it near me. I didn't think – I never think," She suddenly seemed so confused by everything, her own thoughts so jumbled that she rests her head on the desk as she thinks about how stupid she had been, how she didn't listen to Bane and it had nearly cost her life.

"When we get back to the apartment I'm never leaving it again. Whenever I do, people die."

"It was not you who killed him."

"But I wanted to." She remarked quietly as she raised her head from the table. "I really did. I wanted that fucker to just stop! But I just…I couldn't get my arm up to get his head so….I just shot him in the gut…."

She takes in a deep breath, steadying her raising voice, clenching her hands into fists even though it stings. "How do you do it? How can you just…kill people…and not even care. How can you just kill people without even caring about…who they are or," She had to stop speaking, because he was looking at her with such intensity she could feel her blood practically boiling under his gaze. He moved closer, which only made her want to stand and run. One of his hand rose and she flinched when she thought he was going to strike her, something he hadn't done in some time, but she wasn't even sure why he would do such a thing in that moment.

Instead he placed it on her shoulder, thumb gracefully stroking against her collarbone. For some reason that didn't make her feel any better.

"I'd kill for anything, little one. I'd kill to silence a grating voice. To darken the light in eyes that dared to look at me."

"Then why am I still sitting here?"

"Your voice does not irritate me."

His hand moved higher, resting against her neck, her heartbeat fast and furious against his palm.

"But you do want to kill me, right? I can tell."

"How can you tell?"

Her hand moved up, taking a hold of his wrist. He looked down and for the first time, realised his hand had wrapped around her neck, thumb pressing against the hollow of her throat.

"I think there's a part of you that really wants to. But you're just very good at supressing it."

Her grip relinquishes from his wrist, but unlike her, he just can't seem to let go. His grip doesn't tighten, and as usual, the longer he holds on to her the more nervous she becomes. However, this time she just sat there, staring at him with sad eyes and gently suckling on her bottom lip. "Can you please let go off me."

He can't. No matter what he does he can't let go. "You think I will hurt you."

"That's the problem with you. I just don't know."

His fingers immediately start to tighten, but as they do he forces them away before moving his whole body towards the table and away from her direction.

Alice was the one to move from the table first. Without a word she stood, chair scrapping behind her as she marched out of the room and up the stairs. He listened to the footsteps move up the stairs, floorboards creaking above him until the slam of one of the bedroom doors forced the old house to rattle and creek for the first time in years. time.

As she pressed her back against the door she felt tears burns against her eyes and every breath she inhaled catch in her throat. She didn't even make it to the bed, she slid down to the floor then, covering her face with her hands and allowing the tears to fall that she had been supressing for most of the evening. But for once, she didn't feel weak. Tears weren't falling from terror but from frustration. She was tired, hungry, in pain. Worst of she was in her parents old bedroom, and the last thing she wanted to do was sleep on their old musty bed.

The tears don't last too long which she's more than grateful for. After a while she's sat there sniffing, her eyes sore, her headache worse. It takes her a moment for the noise outside the door to reach her ears, and when it does she's suddenly turning and on her knees and eyes focused on the door handle. But it never opened. She could hear him moving the other side, then the noise of him dropping to his own knees was obvious. The door shaking slightly as he pressed his back against it.

For a moment she felt relief that he hadn't entered. She wanted nothing more than to be alone. But then there was a part of her that felt relief for the fact he was right there, outside her door, even if she wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: I know its been a while so I hope you guys aren't too mad at me! but here it is, finally! Let me know what you think.  
_**

* * *

_Alice could feel his hands around her throat, the foul breath against her face, his heavy breaths polluting her hearing. He was smiling, showing rotten teeth, his large eyes glistening with amusement as she choked and spluttered, she could feel herself growing hotter as she struggled for breath, her lungs burning with intense pain as she desperately tried to get air into them. "Are you enjoying this princess, is this what he does to you?"_

_She closed her eyes, tears stinging them as they freely slipped down her cheeks. "I – can't..." The weight on her suddenly shifts, the hands slip from her throat, and as the cold sharp sting of metal is pressed against her throat her eyes open when the sound of the breathing above her changes. Before she can scream his hand clasps over her mouth and the dagger piercers her throat. "I told you. I'm going to put your mark, right – next – to – hers."_

_Alice is thrashing under him as the knife presses deeper and deeper, as her own blood that seems to burn against her skin drips down her neck. As her eyes darts around the room, she realises she's in her own living room, the television is blaring, the brightness stinging her eyes. On the other side of her, sat on the sofa, her mother, head lolled back and throat cut open. Then she starts to scream. _

Bane could hear her cries through the door. Over and over again she asked them to stop, begs them until her throat grows hoarse. 'Not like her! No! Please!' He heard over and over. He sits there, cracking his knuckles, listening to her pleas. He needs for it to stop. There was a time where her cries were simply an annoyance, her tossing and turning, mumbled pleas, all simply a nuisance as he attempted to rest, but then it is almost unbearable to listen to how scared she was. But he knows that he cannot burst in there and wake her from this, he wants to, but he knows that he shouldn't. So he sits there until the screams stop, and it seems to last for years.

The bedroom door creaked as he opened it, then it bumped against something and he heard a disgruntled moan. Peaking his head around the door he spotted her, laying on the floor, curled up and boots discarded to one side as she shivered. She had even removed her torn jumper, fashioning it into a pillow. Silly girl. He found himself annoyed at her for not simply using the bare bed that sat less than a foot away from her, she may have still been cold, but at least she would be more comfortable. Bane was careful as he slid through the small gap her body allowed the door to open up to. He was careful as he picked her up, expecting her to wake at his touch and surprised when she didn't.

As soon as her body touched the soft mattress she rolled to her side, curling into a ball as a shiver runs through her. Bane sat on the edge of the creaky bed, close to her, waiting for the moment the nightmares return.

But they don't seem to. She twitches in her sleep, soft noises and breathes escape her lips as shivers. He noticed that when the nightmares don't occur she's quite the peaceful sleeper, unable to awaken with everyday noise, barely moving as she rests tranquilly.

But he can't watch her, not as she sleeps. He feels it's a violation to watch her rest so peacefully when he has done everything to make her life as intense as possible. The sound of her breathing though... listening…listening to her live, it was strangely pleasant.

His hands suddenly come up to the back of his mask, fingers making quick work of the holding that keep it in place. As he removes it from his face he takes in a deep breath through his nostrils, the smell of dust and mildew filling his senses but he doesn't mind, it's nice to smell something besides chemically altered air. Stretching his jaw he heard a click and a satisfying sensation ran down his neck. He knows he shouldn't remove the only face Alice has known him by when she's less than a few inches from him, but he wants to feel the freedom of the cold air on his face, not the metal and plastic that he's usually entombed in.

Alice is suddenly pushing herself up on her elbows. He doesn't move or make a sound. His eyes move down to the mask in his hands, wondering if he has time to slip it on quickly.

Then he feels her hand delicately on his bicep, squeezing it, as if she's trying to make sure he's actually there. "Bane?" There's a slight tremble in her voice but Bane is unaware it's from the chill that fills the room, instead choosing to believe that it's from his presence, and how she must hate it.

"Yes, little one. I'm right here."

"Oh." She mumbled quietly. His eyes flicker down to her hand which is still touching his bicep. He placed the shirt back on that he had her use to help his bleeding, but the missing sleeve forces her fingers to touch his bare skin and a chill seems to run down his arm. Its then he notices she's not looking at him, her head is down and her eyes are closed as she yawns slightly, but he knows that he needs to place the mask back on, quickly.

"Do we need to leave?" She quietly asked her voice exhausted and rough.

"Not yet. You may sleep more, if you so wish."

Apparently she doesn't need to be told twice. Immediately she settles back down, only now her hand had slipped down to his forearm, grasping it loosely as she slips easily back into sleep.

His eyebrows knot as he looks over at her, eyes dancing between her face and hand. Did she feel more protected knowing he was right there, even though hours ago she had admitted that she was scared of him hurting her? It made no sense.

When she had cleaned the blood from his skin he could feel her unwillingness to touch him, in fact in that moment he could not recall a single instant when he had touched her and had not been aware of how terrified she was. It was strange to not feel the underlying fear for once, feeling a slight need in her touch instead.

Anger flared inside him at such a simple thought, and the desire to leave was overwhelming, but as he made to move she grasped tighter. Bane found himself unable to move.

He knew that she was perfectly safe here; even so he had spent the last four hours sat outside the bedroom door. Why? Why did he feel this desire to protect her, to keep her out of harm's way when he himself had hurt so many time's himself, had even placed her in situation where death would have been an outcome if he hadn't of intervened. Bane, who had thought about killing her more than once, had thought about every detail surrounding her death in his mind, was protecting her, and he didn't understand why.

He stood from the bed then, her hand dropping as it was unable to reach. Without a glance back he marched out, but making sure he didn't slam the door shut as did.

Downstairs it's better. He can hear the creak of floorboards above his head as he sat in the dining room, hoping that the nightmares that seemed to keep at a distance while he was sat next to her don't rear their ugly head again. At least not tonight.

Sitting there at the dining room table he spots the bottle of drink she left behind, dragging it towards him and downing the rest of the sweet liquid in one go. It's not to his liking, it's too sweet, to sickly, but it parches his thirst and helps his dry mouth, so he grabs the second bottle, slowly sipping at the contents this time.

He heard a thud from above him and looked towards the ceiling, at the tiny specks of dust that are floating down towards him, and he wonders what, or whom, she is dreaming of.

Another thud and he stood hurriedly from the table, chair scraping out from beneath him before he marched into the hall and looked up into the darkness. But there was nothing. No sounds of her voice, no creaks of the old house. The eerie silence seemed to fill every inch surrounding him, and a sudden pull made him look towards the living room.

The obnoxious orange glow from the street lamp outside leaked through the cracks in the old curtains, eaten away by moths and age, basking the room in a light glow as he walk towards it.

Leaning forward, Bane pulled the white sheet from the couch, noticing even in the low light the dark red patches that stained the beige fabric. He pulled the torch from his pocket as he kneeled down, suddenly feeling the pricks of heat in his spine as he flashed the light towards the faded red stains the littered the place, but was interested in the small hand print that rested on the edge of the cushion. It had long since faded to a dull mark, but he could still make out the small fingers that had once made their mark, his own hand moving over it, fascinated by tiny size in comparison with his own. Alice had discovered the body, he had read the in the report, but there had been no mention of the young girl rushing to her mother's aid upon discovery.

He wondered what she had done. Attempted to wake her mother? Grabbed her and shook her as she screamed and cried for her mother's eyes to open, ignoring the blood and the stench of death because when it's someone you truly love it's so easy to ignore how terrified you are?

Bane switched the torch off and moved to take a seat on the old couch, next to the patches of blood, he was ever so careful not to sit there. He could almost sense the death that had occurred in this room, angry and violent. A slashed throat was not a kind way to kill someone, they would cling on to life as they choked on their own blood, unable to do anything but wait for death to slowly wash upon them. He imagined Zsasz would watch his victims in their last moments as they lay there with tear stained cheeks, gargling on their own gore as they struggled for air. Zsasz was probably filled with joy as the light slowly left his victims eyes, as their movements died until there was that one finally glimpse of life, then suddenly snuffed out.

The pain was no longer easy to ignore. The wound in his shoulder had started to throb and the pain in his back was starting to starting to feel red hot. Pushing himself up he made his way to the dining room and retrieved his mask from the table. With one last exhale of air he placed it over his face and inhaled the chemicals that immediately relieved his pain.

* * *

It was the scratching in the walls that woke Alice up. Tiny paws running up and down, the soft squeaking of rats or mice forcing her eyes to open. For a brief moment she was thankful for the vermin living inside the walls. She seemed unable to snap out of her nightmares this time; they refused to stop as she slipped deeper and deeper into sleep, unable to wake herself. The images of Zsasz, her mother, and the unknown man were so clear that she could have sworn it had been real. She even moved her hand to her throat as she lay there, making sure she couldn't feel the sticky warmth of her own blood that had been so real in her dream. So for a moment, she had thanked god for those rats just so they could wake her from it.

She lay in the darkness as her eyes adjusted and her hand slipped back to her side, but she was unable to stop it trembling. Alice breathed slowly, her whole body seemed to ache, just pushing herself up onto her elbows seemed to make her whole body quiver with pain. She could feel dust and dirt on her skin and in her hair, but she was more surprised when she felt the soft mattress underneath her instead of the cold hard floor.

She was shivering from the cold, tiny Goosebumps covered her arms as she sat herself up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed as she yawned and rubbed her dry eyes. She had no idea how long she had been out for, but it couldn't have been long; she still felt exhausted.

Her whole body seemed to wobble as she stood from the bed, more so when she bends down to retrieve her boots and jumper, clutching them against herself as she opens the door. Bane was gone. It was still dark, quiet. She treads carefully down the stairs but each steps creaks underneath her weight. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs she drops her boots to the floor and pulls the jumper on. As she pulls it down over her face she finds herself looking into the living room. She edges forward, feet stopping when her toes reach the door to the room.

"It will be dawn soon."

His voice, it forced her heart jump up into her throat as she spun around to see him sitting in the dining room, leaning forward as he sat in one of the chairs. "It's time for us to leave."

Alice licked her dry lips as she picked her boots up off the floor, walking slowly to the dining room as she attempts to avoid eye contact with Bane. But it's difficult. She can feel his eyes focused on her as she takes a seat and pulls one boot on, slowly tightening the laces as he watches her work, a chill moving down her spine because of it.

She pushes her mess of bed hair back, tucking it behind both ears. Bane looks at the deep circles under her sore eyes, puffy lips, and dusty skin from her time on the floor, and acting as the previous night events hadn't taken place. But all Bane can picture is her curled up at her mother's feet, blood covered hands, tears rolling down her cheeks. Is that what she dreams about? That night over and over? Allowing it to slowly eat away at her soul and sanity.

"Bad dreams again, little one?"

She finishes tying the lace before allowing herself to glance over at him, but she doesn't answer him, and she's surprised when she doesn't feel the anger radiate off of him like usual. "Wouldn't want to break routine." As she grabs the other boot and starts to drag it on she lets out a small sigh. "Actually, uh. I was wondering if, maybe, we could stop by my home…my grandmother's home, that is."

She almost flinches just from expecting the harsh no that she knows is going to happen.

"And why is that?"

That's surprising. She raises hers eyebrows she's so bloody surprised. "I have medication that I use to take. They prescribed it for me after my stint in Arkham and uh, it helped, with the nightmares. I stopped taking it to see if I didn't need them anymore and…I didn't."

"But, you need them now."

Alice finished trying the lace before she answer him, letting her foot drop heavily to the floor. "I just...I know that if I don't do something about it that, I'll become how I was before."

He leans back in the chair, eyes unmoving, intrigued rising. "Which was?"

Alice holds back the sigh. She hates explaining her past, especially to him. She expects that he probably already knows what she's about to tell him, but she doesn't want an argument, she's too tired for that. "It nearly killed me. I made myself so sick by refusing to sleep, I stopped eating, my whole life became one giant–" She stops when she realises she's ranting. She's look over at Bane and sees him staring at her with such interest and wonder, it's terrifying. "I don't want to get like that again. Even if I do have to use medication to do it."

She's not sure, but she could have sworn she saw his head slightly nod in agreement.

"What exactly is this medicine?"

"Prazosin." She states clearly. "It's for, uh, high blood pressure but they it's also used for posttraumatic stress. They said it was that, and my anxiety that gave me nightmares. But it did help."

Of course she would want the nightmares to stop, he wasn't surprised. If he couldn't stand to listen to her cries he couldn't imagine what it must be for her to have to re-live it, every night.

"And what you need is at your grandmother's house."

"I kept it after I stopped taking it. Just in case." She shrugged.

"And if I allow you to do this? What will I receive in return?"

If looks could kill then Bane would have certainly dropped dead right then. But despite the look of hatred she suddenly shot at him, Bane knew that he couldn't allow her to do whatever she wanted, she may be claiming she wants the medication, but Bane knew better.

"It's only some pills." She mumbled quietly.

"Which, are at your grandmother's house. You expect me to believe that the only reason you want to go there, is to collect some medication?"

She hated him for being able to read her so bloody easily. Yes, she did want to see her grandmother, make sure she was ok even if it was for a second, but she also really wanted that Prazosin.

"I'll go in and out. She won't even know I'm there."

"I don't think so little one." He stood and turned his back to her as he glanced out of the window. The conversation was over, that was it.

"Bane."

She had to. She had to say his name, use that tone of voice, soft and scared. For some reason it made his insides burn. Turning to her, she was standing too, looking at him with large glistening eyes and chewing her bottom lip softly.

"Please?"

Is this how she works other people into doing her bidding? Soft lips and soft eyes? The thought's almost laughable. He couldn't imagine her tricking anybody into doing anything.

"If you want the pills so much little one, what will I receive in return for allowing you to retrieve them?"

Her eyebrows shot up much to his amusement. Alice certainly hadn't expected that. "I…I don't know. What do you want? I don't exactly have anything I can give you."

"How about a promise?"

"A promise?" She muttered, slightly confused. "What kind of promise?"

He took a step towards her, looming over her as he noticed the slight tremble in her form. "Soon, I will ask you to do something for me, and regardless what your feelings for me are at the time, pure hatred, anger, I do not care. You must do it."

He could see the fear in her eyes, knowing her mind was racing through the worst things she could imagine happening. "Will it be – "

"No." He cut her off, already knowing what she was about to ask. "It will not be carnal."

The dread that clouded her eyes started to clear. "Oh. Well, I suppose, sure…I guess. But I get to spend at least an hour at my grandmothers."

"I will need to be there with you."

She sighed, obviously displeased, but there wasn't much she could do about it. "Fine."

"Well then, we have a deal, little one."

As he stepped away Alice's eyes slipped closed and a sigh escaped her lips. She should have been worrying about Bane being at her grandmother's house, that situation had disaster written all over it. But there was only one thing her mind was occupied with, and that was what the hell Bane was going to get her to do.


	16. Author's note

Quick update.

I received a couple of PMs so I thought I would just make an update everyone could see. Ok, so I've been hit by a bit of writer's block, kinda. I know what I want to write but I can't seem to get it onto...uh, screen. I seem to have fifteen different variations of the next chapter and they all seem to suck. blah. So yes, i am working on it, it's just taken a bit more time than I would have who, I will update as soon as possible so, hang in there kids.


End file.
